PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022)

Work-Based Learning (WBL) has been at the heart of school-to-work initiatives in the 1990s. Local partnerships funded by the 1994 School-to-Work Opportunities Act are placing high priority on developing WBL opportunities for students. However, there is still controversy about whether work really contributes to students ' education, and results of research has been mixed. Students seem to reap economic rewards, but they sometimes pay an educational price. Connecting students ' work to classroom learning could mitigate this tradeoff, though it is difficult to do. Expected benefits of work experience, which have been substantiated in some cases, include the following: (1) acquisition of knowledge or skill related to employment in particular occupations or industries; (2) career exploration and planning; (3) learning all aspects of an industry; (4) increasing personal and social competence related to work in general; and (5) enhancing students ' motivation and academic achievement. It is necessary to look for more definitive evidence for these benefits, however, and to involve academic teachers if WBL is to be successful. If this can be done, WBL can offer a promising approach for preparing students for work and for life. (Contains 41 references) (KC) * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * NORV