Career & College Readiness

Students who are prepared for both college and careers are able to work in teams‚ communicate effectively‚ solve problems‚ and think critically. Career and college readiness programs change the structure of education and career preparation by combining academic learning‚ technical content for particular career areas‚ and hands-on experiences. Student engagement in school is higher when classroom lessons and theories can be applied in “real world” settings. Career and college readiness initiatives prepare young people for a lifetime of learning in school‚ on the job‚ and in their day-to-day lives.

OUR APPROACH

Research & Evaluation

Current & Past Projects

• National Assessment of Career and Technical Education (NACTE): Perkins IV legislation mandates an assessment of the legislation‚ with emphasis on implementation of CTE programs in states and local communities. NIWL is a partner in the congressionally mandated assessment‚ with lead responsibility for case studies in 6 states and 18 local communities.
• CTE Programs of Study: A Postsecondary Perspective: A research study examining CTE Programs of Study development and implementation in three “mature” sites.
• OVAE Task Order:  Research‚ policy analysis and technical assistance related to CTE and adult education through a series of subcontracts executed by MPR Associates.
• National Assessment of Vocational Education: A rigorous analysis of the impact of Perkins III funding and accountability requirements on CTE systems in states and local communities.
• Curriculum Integration Study: A study of academic-technical curriculum integration models in order to assess the quality of integration-related reforms at the district‚ school and classroom level.
• Lansing Area Manufacturing Partnership: Includes four research and technical assistance projects that supported development‚ implementation‚ evaluation and replication of the LAMP initiative‚ a business/union-driven school-to-career program. A replication was implemented in Detroit.
• National Study of Fast Food Employment: A research study assessing the character and impact of employment in the fast food industry‚ including the value of the experience‚ training and supervision‚ plans for achieving goals‚ and work attitudes.
• Study of School-to-Work Transition Education Reform: A study focused on the planning‚ design‚ implementation‚ and impact of school-to-work transition reform initiatives.

Technical Assistance & Training

Current & Past Projects

• Bridge to Employment: An initiative that introduces at-risk high school youth to careers in healthcare and provides real world experience. NIWL provides ongoing technical assistance and strategic planning to participating sites.
• Technical Assistance Academy for Green-Focused Programs of Study: NIWL provides technical assistance to five states‚ supporting the development and implementation of Programs of Study (POS) with integrated “green technology” competencies aligned with one of the 16 career clusters at the local level. NIWL also provided technical assistance to another five states on nontraditional CTE and careers.
• Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing: Strategic planning assistance for new approach to health care delivery and clinical experiences for students at California State University‚ Northridge.
• Career Passport: A systematic process that serves as a natural guidance tool and helps young people document their life experiences and translate these into marketable skills. Career Passport consists of a Leaders Guide and Student Workbook. NIWL offers technical assistance and training for implementation.
• Research and Evaluation Capacity Building & School-to-Career Progress Measures: NIWL in partnership with MPR delivered a variety of technical assistance designed to enhance state and local practitioners’ capacity to evaluate school-to-work efforts and use evaluation data for program improvement.
• Hartford Adult Education Task Force: Facilitation of broad-based group convened by regional workforce investment board and charged with developing a work plan for improving instructional delivery and outcomes at the Hartford (CT) Adult Education Center.
• National School-to-Work Learning and Information Center: A national hub for synthesizing and disseminating information essential to creating STW opportunities across the country.

Program Development & Implementation

Current & Past Projects

• Central Educational Center (CEC) Evaluation and Dissemination: A partnership with CEC and Florida State University in a project designed to replicate the CEC model throughout communities in the state.
• District of Columbia GOALS Project: A feasibility study to determine whether the implementation of a state career and technical education (CTE) plan called “Gateways of Advanced Learning Systems” (GOALS) is feasible in the District of Columbia.