LETTER FROM THE CO-CHAIRS

February 1999 To the Citizens of Wisconsin: The Governor’s Task Force on Technical Education took very seriously the charge of the Governor to develop innovative future-focused recommendations for building tomorrow’s workforce. As a result, this report contains challenges for all Wisconsin citizens. Adopting these recommendations will require changes – changes in how we train workers; how we teach children; how we view life and work; and how we measure career success. This report alone will generate important discussions about the future of our state and how we prepare both children and adults for that future. Implementing the recommendations will require collaborative partnerships among government, education, business, labor and Wisconsin’s Workforce. Once in place, the new and adapted systems will have a powerful positive impact on all aspects of the way we learn, the way we work and the way we live. As challenging as it may sound to discuss such far-reaching changes, the cost of not changing would be far more devastating to our state. More important, if Wisconsin does not provide this model for the rest of our country to follow, the nation’s workforce and economy could be at risk. We must show the country and the world how to stay on top no matter what the future brings. The Governor’s Task Force on Technical Education considers the implementation of these standards, to use the World War II phrase, a "war-bond" issue. We challenge the Governor and the Legislature to make this a top priority. Invest the resources now that will ensure a skilled workforce, a growing economy and a high quality of life for our current and future generations. On behalf of this task force, we thank the Governor for entrusting us with this very important assignment. The challenge of developing these recommendations was balanced with the rewards of discovering the great potential that exists in Wisconsin’s education and training systems. We look forward to helping tap that potential as recommendations come to fruition. Sincerely,   David M. Eberhardt Task Force Co-chair Phillip L. Neuenfeldt Task Force Co-chair

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PROLOGUE

Wisconsin has a combination of highly rated educational systems and leadership in many critical areas that enable strong economic performance and a competitive edge in the global economy. Tomorrow’s need for an even stronger and more highly skilled workforce, however, will challenge these systems and leadership, require foresight, innovation and a commitment to high skills education and training.

Testimony from statewide public forums conducted in 1998 and the work of the Governor’s Task Force on Technical Education show compelling evidence that every workplace, trade, and profession in Wisconsin needs additional skilled workers. If Wisconsin is to continue leading the nation with unprecedented growth and a strong economy, we must place additional emphasis on bringing more people into the technically skilled workforce and consistently upgrading the skills of current workers.

The findings of the Governor’s Task Force on Technical Education reinforce the need for change, integration of services and expansion of programs. These are necessary to meet the demands of a growing and changing workforce that must receive a strong technical education and possess state of the art skills. They do not indicate a need for more programs, replacement programs or even the expansion of infrastucture. Rather, the findings show that the people of Wisconsin – at all ages – should have greater access to quality technical training. They also demonstrate the need for improved awareness of the career potential of technical occupations. This must start with the parents of today’s children and the education those children receive. There is an equally critical need to develop seamless partnerships between government, education, business, labor and Wisconsin’s workforce.

• Over 3 million people in Wisconsin are employed. This is 75 percent of the entire population – the highest percentage in the nation and nearly full employment.

• Wisconsin leads the nation with 25 percent of its workforce employed in manufacturing occupations.

• Wisconsin businesses typically have 110,000 unfilled job openings, a significant portion of which are high-wage technical positions.

• Projections show that 40 percent of the current skilled trade workers have or will reach retirement age between 1995 and 2005, which will leave us an even more acute shortage of technically trained workers.

• Many sectors of the economy are growing and must to expand to remain competitive and maintain or increase market share; this will further increase workforce needs.

• We must adapt, expand and strengthen our technical education curriculum at all age levels to provide for this growth.

• We must refocus our strategies in marketing technical occupations to today’s students, displaced workers, retirees, people with disabilities and returning veterans.

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WORKFORCE BUILDING STRATEGIES

Wisconsin’s past success has depended on our ability to adapt to the changing world. In order to adapt with the accelerating pace of change, we must have a cohesive, comprehensive plan. The following strategies are part of just such a plan.

STRATEGY

Provide Wisconsin students, workers and employers with a seamless system for lifelong learning.

FORM a new Joint Council on Work and Education to foster greater collaboration among business, labor, and public sector agencies and institutions in the development of a seamless workforce preparation and development system by adapting existing state boards and commissions.

PROVIDE a greater voice for business and labor in workforce preparation and development through a sizable majority of the membership in the Joint Council on Work and Education and use this council to fulfill the requirements of the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

ESTABLISH a unified plan to coordinate initiatives and state and federal resources designated for K-16 school-to-work activities, workplace education and training for incumbent workers, and re-employment assistance for dislocated and disadvantaged workers.

DEVELOP performance-based standards for workforce preparation and development programs to ensure resources are allocated to meet the critical needs of employers and workers.

MAKE technology education a core subject for all Wisconsin students. This would include:

• the creation and adoption of technology education standards for all K-12 school districts

• a state high school technology education graduation requirement

• technology education questions integrated into the state high school graduation test

• a technology core competency in all state technical college and university system programs

ESTABLISH requirements that formalize 2+2 and 2+2+2 learning and accreditation paths for high school and technical college students and incumbent workers (see Glossary in AppendixA for definition of "2+2" and "2+2+2").

PROVIDE tuition reimbursement for students who complete a state technical college program in a high demand technical occupational area, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and work in a related field in the state of Wisconsin.

PROVIDE adequate funding to support the creation of youth apprenticeship programs in high demand technical occupations and increase the total number of youth apprentices to 5,000 students.

STRATEGY

INCREASE customized skills training funds for employment linked training that provides jobs paying at least $8/hour plus benefits to low-income and new workers who complete necessary training.

CREATE incentives for employers providing education and training that upgrade the basic and technical skills of their employees in jobs that pay at least $8/hour plus benefits.

CREATE incentives for employers to develop adult apprenticeship programs in occupations with skill shortages and increase the total number of adult apprentices in high demand occupations by 10 percent.

EXPAND and replicate comprehensive partnerships among business, labor, and public/non-profit sector agencies and institutions that support technology upgrading, workplace education and training, apprenticeship, re-employment assistance for dislocated and disadvantaged workers, and school-to-work activity.

STRATEGY

INFORM students and their parents about education and career choices, including career opportunities in technical fields and the educational paths that lead to high skill jobs.

SEEK  partnerships with business, industry and labor to join in marketing outreach efforts.

INFORM  the incumbent workforce and their employers about the opportunities available for education and training to upgrade skills.

A REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE IN EDUCATION

Many aspects of education would seem to be outside the charge of this task force, but the development of knowledge and skills occurs through a sequence of events and experiences.   Though not a part of our specific recommendations related to technical education, we strongly believe there are significant changes needed in Wisconsin’s educational systems.   Our current systems served us well in the past, but we must have a new vision for revolutionary changes in these systems to prepare future generations for life and work in the 21st Century.   The rest of the world will not wait while the United States becomes comfortable with change.    It must happen now.

We recommend that the K-12, technical college and university systems work together to develop an educational process where virtually all instruction is aligned and articulated. All education and life experiences should be connected to and within the learning process. In addition, there needs to be a change in focus by all educators from teaching subjects to teaching skills. The subjects should become a vehicle for teaching the skills needed for lifelong learning. Part of this process would include developing teaching skills in all students and making them active participants who help teach each other and themselves.

Changes such as these will require teachers at all levels and, in particular, our teacher educators to accept new methods and new content. It will require teachers to work in teams across disciplines, grade levels, and systems. It will also require changes in how student achievement is assessed and recognized and how we establish graduation requirements.

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CONCLUSION

Technological change, combined with public acceptance of the need for life long education, could put today’s society light-years ahead of yesterday. But the pace of change will continue to accelerate and challenge our ability to recognize the education and training needs of our future workforce – and it is that workforce that must be prepared to tackle the challenges Wisconsin faces in the global economy.

Wisconsin must make a commitment to revolutionize the way we prepare all our citizens for the future – and we must meet this challenge head on. The Governor’s Task Force on Technical Education is committed to this blueprint for the technical education needs of Wisconsin. It provides the necessary foundation for building economic prosperity for all Wisconsin workers and their families.

IMPERATIVE FOR IMPROVEMENT

As we prepare to enter a new millennium, the question is no longer "will changeoccur in our world?," but rather, "how fast will change occur?" We cannot afford to resist such change. If we are to be leaders – if we want to truly prepare our state and its citizens to thrive in and throughout the world – we must embrace change and look for strategies that propel us into the future, not mire us in the past.

A REPORT FOR ALL WISCONSIN CITIZENS

Called upon to specifically address "technical education," the task force quickly realized significant improvements in this area could not be made in a vacuum. Improving technical education will require the involvement of and partnerships among schools, communities, and citizens. This report attempts to put technical education in a context that can be understood, and embraced, by all Wisconsin citizens.

DEFINING TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Traditionally, technical education was a program of studies that prepared a technician. Thetask force believes the scope of technical education has changed as our world has become more technological. Today, there are many technical skills of value to students, parents, consumers, citizens and workers. In addition, the number and variety of "technicians" in our workforce has increased dramatically.

The Governor’s Task Force on Technical Education has, therefore, defined technical education as "instruction and experiences that result in knowledge about or skills in using a given technology." In addition, we are viewing technical education from the standpoint of three domains:

1. Foundation technical knowledge, skills and awareness directed at youth
    
2. Developing basic technical knowledge and skills in adults
    
3. Life-long learning to improve existing and develop new technical knowledge and skills

THE ECONOMIC NEED FOR A TECHNICALLY PREPARED WORKFORCE

Wisconsin has seen tremendous economic growth over the last decade. Results of that growth include record low unemployment, reduction in the number of people receiving welfare and other forms of government assistance, and a general satisfaction by most Wisconsin residents with their standard of living.

Key to this economic growth has been the ability of Wisconsin to attract new and diverse businesses and the ability of existing state businesses to expand. One of the most important factors in the growth of business in Wisconsin has been the availability of a skilled workforce with a strong work ethic. Unfortunately, the workforce demand is now greater than the availability. There have been reports as far back as 1986 of Wisconsin businesses unable to find sufficient numbers of workers with necessary skills.

The shortage of technically skilled workers is nearing a crisis in Wisconsin. In response, Governor Tommy G. Thompson charged his Cabinet last year with investigating the skilled labor situation in Wisconsin. Five forums were held around the state at which over 400 participants provided insight into how they were being affected by the labor situation. In addition, input was received in writing, through the Department of Workforce Development website, and from a variety of surveys and studies that have been completed in recent years.

The results were clear: Wisconsin must increase the availability of technically skilled workers or risk losing economic growth and quality of life to other states or countries. These recommendations represent the crucial steps that must be taken if Wisconsin wishes to remain on top nationally and globally in education, the economy and our standard of living.

THE WILL TO CHANGE

Wisconsin must make fundamental changes in our educational systems, businesses and even our culture if we are going to meet the growing demand for technically skilled workers. We must have a common vision of education and work that is based on the need for life-long learning and recognition that change is necessary and constant. As a state, we must have the will to change our systems, our institutions and ourselves. The following seven elements must be part of the common vision for preparing our citizens and workforce for the next millennium.

A FULLY-INTEGRATED EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WHICH ENSURES COLLABORATION

To make the best use of resources and provide a high quality education for every student, it is essential that all Wisconsin educational and workforce development systems work together seamlessly. Connections must be built within and between every system to enhance learning and encourage students to move between the systems based on their career and education goals. The current systems must work as a team to eliminate or adapt rules, standards, and practices that create barriers or discourage choices.

This collaboration must include the directing of resources toward occupational and career preparation where there is greatest need and opportunity. The systems must work together toprovide education and training that address workforce shortages. They must also help direct students toward these areas with consideration given to the students’ interests and aptitudes.

STRONG INCENTIVES FOR TRAINING AND PARTNERING

Businesses must see the importance of providing training opportunities for their employees while workers must see the benefits of using such opportunities. Because improved worker skills will benefit the economy, it is appropriate for the state to provide incentives and assistance to businesses offering employee training and education programs. State educational systems must also be partners in providing training. As part of their collaboration, they must provide consistency in documentation, transcripts, and credit transfer within and between systems.

RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF ALL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AND CAREER OPTIONS

Our K-12 educational systems typically focus on preparing students to attend a university and then directing them there. Though all students should have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed at a university, only about 30 percent of all high school graduates will graduate from a university and only 20 percent of jobs require that type of education. The focus of our educational systems should be preparing students for life and work regardless of their education and career choices. That includes showing the value of the entire range of education and job opportunities available. Students and parents need to understand the costs and potential of all these options and students should be directed appropriately toward apprenticeships, technical and associate degree programs, the military, other technical training, or universities based on their interests, aptitudes and a well-developed career plan. Educators must treat all these options as equally valuable and prestigious.

A STRONG FOUNDATION OF TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS

Technology has an overwhelming presence in our world and an impact on every person’s life, but understanding technology and learning to use it appropriately and effectively are not viewed as essential knowledge and skills in our schools. Technology education needs to become a core subject in every school and at all grade levels along with the development of technology education graduation standards.

Technology training cannot stop at high school graduation. More attention must be given to the technology training needs of students in all post-secondary training programs as well as the incumbent workforce. Increased use of technology in the workplace is increasing the skill and knowledge demands of workers at all levels and in virtually all nature of jobs. Maintaining a flexible and skilled workforce requires that all incumbent and future workers receive regular up-to-date technology skill training.

It is important to note that by the word "technology," we are not referring to only computers and other information technology. Rather, we are referring to the much broader scope of tools, systems, and equipment that extend human capabilities, address personal and societal needs, and fulfill human desires. Learning "how to use" a few technological items is far different than learning "about" technology, its nature and its role and impact on our society, culture and lives.

A STRONG FOUNDATION OF CAREER AND SELF-AWARENESS BY STUDENTS AND WORKERS

Students at all levels of our educational systems must be involved in comprehensive developmental guidance activities. Beginning in elementary school, students should be identifying their personal likes, dislikes and aptitudes by analyzing the many activities in which they are
involved. These will be used later as students begin to learn about various job and career options. They will learn what skills and education are needed for various careers. They will also learn about job availability and potential for advancement.

This knowledge must be combined with an understanding of concepts such as wages, benefits, salaried vs. hourly work, job progression and mobility, among others. They must also develop an understanding of the cost-of-living as both a single, independent adult and when trying to raise a family. All of these concepts need to be combined in a career and education plan for all students to help them make appropriate choices about their futures. In addition to children, many adults could benefit from similar career awareness and guidance when re-entering the workforce or considering a career change.

HIGH QUALITY TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

Today, significantly more students in Wisconsin need access to high-quality technical preparation programs at the secondary level than ever before. As students receive better career awareness instruction and career guidance, they will begin identifying specific technical training needs as part of their career and education plan. Schools must be able to provide such opportunities along side core academic and technology courses and advanced placement courses in science, math, English and other areas.

ADEQUATE RESOURCES

Adequate resources must be provided to ensure high quality education, training and workforce development and to provide sufficient technically skilled workers to meet current and future demands. Funding for these resources, whether they come from private or public sources, must be recognized as an investment in a strong Wisconsin economy and high quality of life for our citizens. Resources must be available for facilities; upgrading equipment; training; developing providers of training; and exploring alternative delivery methods. Use of these resources must then be coordinated to ensure they are used as effectively as possible.

STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING A WORLD-CLASS WORKFORCE

Wisconsin’s past success has depended on our ability to adapt to the changing world. In order to adapt with the accelerating pace of workplace change, we must have a cohesive, comprehensive plan. The following task force recommendations would be the foundation of just such a plan. These strategies are presented in the Executive Summary and in the following sections of the report where we provide additional details of each strategy including activities designed to support their implementation.

FORM a new Joint Council on Work and Education to foster greater collaboration among business, labor and public sector agencies and institutions in the development of a seamless workforce preparation and development system.

PROVIDE a greater voice for business and labor in workforce preparation and development through a sizable majority of the membership in the Joint Council on Work and Education and use this council to fulfill the requirements of the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA).

ESTABLISH a unified plan to coordinate initiatives and state and federal resources designated for K-16 school-to-work activities, workplace education and training for incumbent workers, and re-employment assistance for dislocated and disadvantaged workers.

DEVELOP performance-based standards for workforce preparation and development programs to ensure resources are allocated to meet the critical needs of employers and workers.

Strategy Details

Developing and maintaining a seamless workforce preparation and development system in Wisconsin will require the commitment and collaboration of business, labor, state agencies and educational institutions. Each has a crucial role to play in building a highly skilled workforce and providing high quality education and training for the current and future workforce. The Joint Council on Work and Education will bring together the leaders of these groups to develop a common vision and a unified plan for workforce preparation and development. The council will be staffed by representatives of the various agencies and organizations represented on the council and would be served through a structure of advisory councils.

Structure of the Joint Council on Work and Education

The Governor of the State of Wisconsin would chair the Joint Council for Work and Education. A sizable majority of its membership would include business and labor representatives. Members would include, but would not be limited to:

• The State Superintendent of Public Instruction
   
• The President of the University of Wisconsin System
   
• The Secretary of the Department of Commerce
   
• The Secretary of the Department of Workforce Development
   
• The State Director of the Wisconsin Technical College System
   
• Comparable number of business and labor representatives

Establishing the Joint Council on Work and Education (JCWE)

Wisconsin citizens should find interacting with any aspect of education and training in our state to be simple and rewarding. To simplify the processes, the JCWE would adopt the roles of some existing councils and committees with a continuing focus on developing a seamless system of education and training. For example, the current Council on Workforce Excellence and Joint Administrative Committee on Academic Programs (JACAP) would be folded into the JCWE. The members of these groups would be asked to serve on or in an advisoryvcapacity to the JCWE. In addition, the JCWE would be structured to fill the role of the Workforce Investment Board as required by the federal Workforce Investment Act.

Specific Responsibilities of the Joint Council on Work and Education

Meeting the workforce preparation needs of Wisconsin students, workers and employers would drive the responsibilities of the JCWE. Some of these responsibilities will be identified as the council is formed and the exact structure determined. The following are essential responsibilities the council must address as high priorities:

• Coordinate the implementation of all strategies identified in this report.
   
• Develop a common vision and unified plan for workforce preparation and development.
   
• Establish a timeline and benchmarks for implementation of the strategies identified in this report and (at least) annually assess the progress made toward achieving the benchmarks.
   
• Provide oversight of education, training and workforce development programs to ensure effective use of resources while avoiding duplication of services or competition for funds.
   
• Develop rigorous performance standards throughout state education and workforce development systems; these standards would support the goals of the JCWE.
   
• Identify and expand successful best practices of teaching and learning strategies that effectively contribute to high performance work and high quality education.
   
• Develop and implement programs for regular assessment of academic, technical and employability skills along with intervention strategies to ensure effective educational experiences throughout each person’s life.
   
• Direct resources to create an integrated delivery system that leads to the development of a highly skilled work force.
   

Accountability of the Joint Council on Work and Education

Continued low unemployment and increases in personal income, along with ready access by business to technically skilled workers, will be signs that the Joint Council on Work and Education has been fulfilling its responsibilities. It is Wisconsin citizens, in their roles as students, workers and employers, who will hold the JCWE accountable for their efforts and results. The goals and performance standards of the JCWE will be shared with these citizens through various mediums. They will have a chance to see how the council’s activities will effect our state’s schools, businesses, communities and economy.

The full council will meet quarterly to assess the effectiveness of its work and make adjustments or develop new strategies to achieve performance goals. Annually the council will report its activities and progress to the citizens of the state of Wisconsin as well as to the Legislature and the Office of the Governor. State and national media will be encouraged to closely observe and report the activities of the JCWE. In addition, editorial boards, citizen group, and other organizations should hold the council accountable for staying on task toward their goals and truly working to achieve the performance standards.

MAKE technology education a core subject for all Wisconsin students. This would include:

• the creation and adoption of technology education standards for all K-12 school districts
   
• a state high school technology education graduation requirement
   
• technology education questions integrated into the state high school graduation test
   
• a technology core competency in all state technical college and university system programs

ESTABLISH requirements that formalize 2+2 and 2+2+2 learning and accreditation paths for high school and technical college students and incumbent workers (see Glossary in Appendix A for definition of "2+2" and "2+2+2").

PROVIDE tuition reimbursement for students who complete a state technical college
program in a high demand technical occupational area, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and work in a related field in the state of Wisconsin.

PROVIDE adequate funding to support the creation of youth apprenticeship programs in high demand technical occupations and increase the total number of youth apprentices to 5,000 students.

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION – Preparing students technologically must be more than just teaching how to use current computers and related technology. Students must understand the nature of technology, its impact on our world, society, culture, and future, and learn how to use and manage technology. Students must be confident working with and making decisions about current, emerging and future technologies in all areas including communications, transportation, manufacturing, construction, energy, biotechnology and others. To accomplish this, technology education must become a core subject for all Wisconsin students.

SCHOOL-TO-WORK – State coordination of school-to-work should ensure all Wisconsin schools develop a comprehensive school-to-work program that includes all students. Activities that would enhance school-to-work programs include:

• Require all Wisconsin students, before they graduate, to create a meaningful career plan; this plan will be developed and modified throughout their K-12 education to reflect a variety of sequenced developmental guidance activities and will help them make informed post-secondary education decisions.
   
• Implement a statewide system of voluntary proficiency tests for students who complete advanced technical training programs including youth apprenticeship and certified coop programs; the tests would be tied to national skill standards and would result in an industry-endorsed credential.
   
• Review and revise state child-labor laws where needed to encourage work-based learning; this could include a mentor training requirement as part of the student learner criteria.
   
• Maintain employer training grants to encourage employers to hire youth apprentices.
   
• Provide employers of second year youth apprentices with credits toward technical college tuition for incumbent workers.
   
• Encourage the Council on Workforce Excellence to quickly adopt recommendations to strengthen the Tech Prep program.
   
• Adopt the Youth Apprenticeship recommendations of the Council on Workforce Excellence/Education & Training Committee (see Appendix C for full list of recommendations).

CONNECTING THE SYSTEMS – To be most effective, school-to-work activities must seamlessly connect to various post-secondary opportunities. Students must also be ensured none of these opportunities will be lost if they become involved in school-to-work activities. The following activities would help build and support connections between the various educational systems:

• Change teacher certification requirements to allow secondary teachers to teach entry level technical college courses in high school for technical college credit and technical college teachers to teach high school students for high school credit.
   
• Require the university system to review admission requirements to recognize high school graduates who successfully complete advanced school-to-work programs or pass a state vocational proficiency exam so they are not penalized for choosing this option.
   
• Require the university system to admit technical college graduates as an incentive for students to begin their post-secondary education at a technical college.

• Develop a seamless system among youth apprenticeship, technical college degree programs, and the adult apprenticeship system (where appropriate); whenever possible, use state and/or national skill standards to develop the curriculum and program standards.

INCREASE customized skills training funds for employment linked training that provides jobs paying at least $8/hour plus benefits to low-income and new workers who complete necessary training.

CREATE incentives for employers that provide education and training that upgrades the basic and technical skills of their employees in jobs that pay at least $8/hour plus benefits.

CREATE incentives for employers to develop adult apprenticeship programs in occupations with skills shortages and increase the total number of adult apprentices in high demand occupations by 10 percent.

EXPAND and replicate comprehensive partnerships between business, labor and public/non-profit sector agencies and institutions that support technology upgrading, workplace education and training, apprenticeship, re-employment assistance for dislocated and disadvantaged workers, and school-to-work activity.

Strategy Details

ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING – There are numerous programs within the state that are effectively tailoring employment and training services to meet specific labor market needs. However, better coordination of programs and funding could bring these efforts to scale and address the statewide skills shortages encountered by employers and unions. These workforce development programs must focus more attention on long-term employment and career advancement rather than quick job placement. The unified plan would be linked to the current needs of Wisconsin businesses in helping address labor shortages in high-wage, high-skill jobs. This plan would include the following provisions:

• Facilitate inter-program collaboration to reduce duplication of services, improve efficiency in delivery and address gaps in skill development.
   
• Target resources to more advanced skill development rather than short-term worker placement without regard to job quality, longevity or potential for advancement.
   
• Provide incentives for workplace learning centers that integrate technical skills and basic skills.
   
• Provide flexible open entry/open exit training opportunities for incumbent, dislocated and disadvantaged workers.
   
• Promote new delivery methods to achieve scale economies and specialized instruction (such as computer-based, Internet-based and distance learning).
   
• Encourage concurrent training in language and technical skills for non-English speaking workers.

ADULT APPRENTICESHIP – The apprenticeship model needs to be expanded to reach larger numbers of workers and employers and encourage employers who are not using the apprenticeship model to adopt it. To expand apprenticeship programs, we must look at new occupational areas identified by the U.S. Department of Labor and consider apprenticeship programs in non-traditional occupations. High-demand occupations should be targeted and connections made with school-to-work programs and existing technical college diploma and degree programs. Activities to support this strategy include:

• Establish employer training grants similar to those for youth apprentices to encourage multi-employer initiatives that expand or develop new apprenticeships in high demand occupations.
   
• Provide wage and benefit guarantees for experienced journey level workers who are willing to work full or part time as technical instructors or teachers.
   
• Implement a voluntary "Advanced Journey Worker Credential" program to provide growth opportunities for advanced journey workers and recognition of post-apprenticeship achievements.

TRAINING PARTNERSHIPS – Our state is widely recognized for the development of regional partnerships among business, labor and public/non-profit sector organizations. These industry-driven partnerships work closely with the state’s technical college and workforce development systems to upgrade the skills of the current and future workforce. The state should aggressively compete for federal resources announced for this purpose, and support the expansion and replication of national models, such as the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership, Milwaukee Jobs Initiative, Dane County Career Ladders and manufacturing extension programs. These partnerships would:

• Bring employers and unions together on the basis of their common workforce preparation and development needs to address skills shortages in their industry or occupation within at least one labor market area of the state.
   
• Facilitate higher levels of business and labor involvement in the implementation of task force recommendations on school-to-work, adult apprenticeship, workplace education and training, re-employment assistance for dislocated and disadvantaged workers and (where applicable) manufacturing extension.
   
• Meet specific performance benchmarks related to each area of workforce preparation and development policy that is relevant to the industry or occupation.

INFORM students and their parents about education and career choices, including career opportunities in technical fields and the educational paths that lead to high skill jobs.

SEEK partnerships with business, industry and labor to join in marketing outreach efforts.

INFORM the incumbent workforce and their employers about the opportunities available for education and training to upgrade skills.

Strategy Details

All Wisconsin residents, but most particularly students and their parents, must see the benefit of technical education for their families and for the economic vitality of the state. This will require an integrated marketing initiative involving the Wisconsin Technical College System, University of Wisconsin System, Department of Public Instruction and Department of Workforce Development, among others. Specific provisions of this initiative include:

• Create a statewide coordinated and collaborative media campaign directed toward high school students and parents, emphasizing the benefits of technical education and careers.
   
• Recruit those businesses, associations and labor organizations that have a vested interest in assuring a skilled workforce to join with state government and the post-secondary educational institutions in the campaign to promote technical education/ careers.
   
• Partner with private sector organizations that are developing their own initiatives to market their industry and the skilled jobs available in that industry, such as the
  Wisconsin Newspaper Association Partners 2000: Building Success in News initiative.
   
• Market the learning and credit opportunities currently available to high school students, including Youth Options, advanced standing, Tech Prep, contracted courses, distance learning and 2+2+2.
   
• Partner with key K-12 groups such as Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), Wisconsin Federation of Teachers (WFT), Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA), Wisconsin School Counselors Associations(WSCA), Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB), Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and others in disseminating information about technical education and technical careers to teachers, counselors, administrators and parents.
   
• Support career exploration activities in the middle school years and encourage business and industry to partner with their local schools to provide opportunities for students to experience various sectors of the world of work.
   
• On an annual basis, send direct mailings to parents of middle school students setting out the economic value and benefits of technical education and technical careers.
   
• Partner with community based organizations and Tribal governments to reach minority populations and disadvantaged populations with information particularly helpful to them about how to access technical education and training for technical careers.
   
• Disseminate information to employers to inform them of the opportunities available to upgrade employee skills in areas from basic skills and English as a second language to customize training in new technologies.

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A REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE IN EDUCATION

Many aspects of education would seem to be outside the charge of this task force, but the development of knowledge and skills occurs through a sequence of events and experiences. Though not a part of our specific recommendations related to technical education, we strongly believe there are significant changes needed in Wisconsin’s educational systems.  What follows is our vision for revolutionary changes in these systems in order to prepare future generations for life and work in the 21st Century.

ALIGNMENT AND ARTICULATION OF WISCONSIN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS AND THE WORLD OF WORK

Wisconsin has one of the top K-12 school systems in the country. The same is true of our university and technical college systems. In addition, our workforce is one of the best skilled and hardest working anywhere. Despite the quality of these components, however, there are gaps and inconsistencies within and between them that create unnecessary challenges for students and workers and contribute to the shortage of technically skilled workers.

It is absolutely essential that all Wisconsin educational and workforce development systems work together seamlessly. They can do this by adopting a common vision and purpose ofpreparing all Wisconsin citizens to be responsible and productive in a global technological society. Every individual and all the subsystems within this system must ensure their efforts are contributing to this preparation. In addition, educators must build connections between the experiences and instruction they provide and those the student receives from other places. Teachers should be able to identify for students and ensure students understand the purpose and application of all instruction in the context of their life as a worker, consumer, family member, and citizen.

An important component of the seamless educational system is preparing all students to be life-long learners and teachers. Throughout our lives, almost all of us eventually act in the role of teacher, mentor, coach or parent. Yet, most of us never receive instruction or guidance in these skills. We also know that students learn best when teaching specific facts, ideas or skills to others. We must include these skills in all students’ instruction and have them practice the skills as part of their learning in all subjects. This will help create a society where it is natural for everyone to teach others and for everyone to share knowledge and skills. On the surface, it would seem that adding these new skills would require removing something else from the curriculum. In fact, students with these skills will become more effective learners allowing for additional materials or more advanced concepts to be taught in most courses.

Establishing a seamless education and workforce development system will require changes and cooperation by all of the existing systems and many state agencies. There are certain provisions that should be part of the seamless system once in place. These include:

• A means of granting educational credit for life-work experiences; such credits would be transferable and applicable within the various educational and workforce development systems.
   
• A means of communicating substantive, non-biased, up-to-date information about career and education options and opportunities to students and parents.
   
• Shared centers for career guidance and related services; these would be used by students and workers of all ages within a given geographical area.
   
• A requirement that instructors in all systems complete coursework in career guidance and development.
   
• Incentives for instructors of all subjects in all systems to complete business externships to help them understand how their courses apply to the world of work.
   
• Continuous means of assessing every student’s ability to apply their knowledge and skills to real world problems and opportunities.
   
• Incentives for instructors of different subjects to work in teams to more effectively deliver instruction.
   
• Educational opportunities that go beyond the traditional school day, week, and year.
   
• Incentives for students and workers to develop skills.

Teaching Subjects vs. Teaching Skills

As part of this alignment, we must change the focus of teaching – especially at the K-12 level. As long as our schools focus on teaching "subjects" (i.e. math, science, social studies, French, art), we will not successfully teach broader and, in many respects, more important "skills" (critical thinking, designing, learning, teaching, planning, etc.). The "subjects" take precedence over the "skills" and students are left with a lot of knowledge and not a lot of ability to use it. There must be a change in this mindset. We must integrate all subjects and shift our focus to the teaching of critical skills. The "subjects" then become the vehicle for delivering the skills.

Multicultural Education as Part of the Integrated and Applied Curriculum

As our world has become more technical, it has also become, in many ways, smaller. We live in a global society and community. As such, it is more important than ever that all students develop an appreciation for other cultures and languages and, at the very least, develop some basic skills in a foreign language. This also needs to be integrated throughout the K-12 curriculum beginning at the elementary level and built on at the post-secondary level.  Language development should occur alongside skill development throughout every student’s educational experience. It may be appropriate to significantly increase the number of foreign language immersion schools in Wisconsin to better prepare students for work in the global economy.

Implications for Teacher Education in the University System

The UW System needs to alter its curriculum to enable teacher-education students to become multi-skilled and to focus on "teaching students to learn" using all available technology and tools, rather than just becoming a specialist in some field. Our teacher preparation programs must focus first on preparing teachers to address a wide range of learning styles in an integrated and applied team-teaching environment. They then can choose one or multiple subject areas in which to specialize.

Technology must be a large part of the revamped university curriculum. Education students need to learn how to readily adapt their teaching style and content based on new research into how students learn, the mix of students they have, and the other teachers with whom they team. They also need to know how to access the latest information on teaching, learning and best practices.

Teacher education programs must demonstrate many of these practices in their courses, allowing future teachers to experience the activities they will be delivering. Teacher education programs must use applied curriculums, integrated curriculums, team teaching of mixed subjects, and various teaching/learning styles. Every prospective teacher must also experience a variety of settings while "student teaching" throughout their program rather than just before graduation.

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A BLUEPRINT FOR LIFE, WORK AND EDUCATION

As this task force developed strategies for preparing a technically skilled workforce, we began to realize why they had not previously been implemented – many are not compatible with existing laws, policies, standards and institutional structures. It then became clear that those same laws, policies, standards and structures were based on outdated ideas and philosophies about life, work and education. While our state, country and world have gone through revolutionary changes in the last 100 years, our concept of schools and the world of work have changed relatively little. Consequently, making significant changes in our education and training systems has been a significant challenge.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Given the way our world has changed and continues to change, this task force does not believe the current education and training model can meet the workforce demands of the present or future. Even with changes aimed at addressing technical education needs, there are severe limits to the impact that could be made. Such a situation could pose a significant threat to the Wisconsin economy and standard of living.

Rather than view this as a crisis, however, we see this as a great opportunity. Wisconsin could be the first state to establish a common vision of life-long education and training thatdrives all related policies and budgets. Rather than attempt quick fixes of the current systems, we should adopt a true long-term strategy for providing quality, effective and appropriate education and training for all Wisconsin citizens for generations to come.

A Common Vision

Until very recently and with few exceptions, education and work have been treated as separate and very distinct entities. This creates many challenges when trying to bring them together. We are proposing a new vision that brings education and work together throughout each person’s life. This new model recognizes education and work as integral and ongoing parts of life and living. In addition, this model recognizes that most of us act in the role of both learner and teacher throughout our lives.

The Governor’s Task Force on Technical Education is proposing a common vision of education and work that brings together the ideas of "life-long learning" and "it takes an entire village to raise a child." That vision acts as a blueprint for this report. It provides the context for the elements and strategies identified in "The Will to Change" and "Strategies for Building a World-Class Workforce." This new vision is called the Life-Work Continuum.

The Life-Work Continuum

The Life-Work Continuum reflects the way education, work and life experiences seem to evolve for people who are successful in their academic, professional and personal lives. Such people create connections amongst these experiences making them more valuable and easier to apply in all areas of their lives. We believe state education and work institutions should provide such connections for all students and workers. The Life-Work Continuum is woven throughout the elements and strategies in this report.

In the Life-Work Continuum, every person begins as a learner and progresses to become a user of knowledge and skills. Eventually, most people also use their knowledge and skills as teachers in one form or another – i.e. as a parent, tutor, coach, trainer or workplace mentor. As we each grow older, we become less learners and more users and teachers – but the learning never stops entirely.

The Life-Work Continuum model identifies ten phases we each pass through in our roles as learner, user and teacher. More importantly, it builds bridges between our educational systems and our life-work experiences to help create a seamless flow from school, to work, to career. The model is built on a lifelong commitment to education and work and it recognizes that people will move differently through the continuum. People may move back and forth through the phases of the continuum as they change jobs, have children or choose to pursue other activities.

The Ten Phases of the Life-Work Continuum

What follows are brief descriptions of each phase of the Life-Work Continuum along with some of the expected education and work related activities that would occur during each phase.

Phase 1 – Commitment to Life and Work

This phase would typically occur during early childhood. Individuals would develop an appreciation for education and work through the teaching and example of parents, siblings and other influential people. These people should strive to create in each child a respect and appreciation for work along with a desire to actively participate in his or her own education and development.

Phase 2 – Early Education and Application

This phase would occur during the typical elementary and middle school ages. Students would develop core knowledge and skills in math, science, communications and technology along with an awareness of how these connect to each other and the concept of "work." Key during this phase would be discovering and understanding personal likes, dislikes and aptitudes and how they relate to skill development, work and life. In addition, students would become immersed in developmental career guidance.

Phase 3 – Application to Technological Literacy

This phase would typically occur during the middle and high school years. Students would continue to build their core skills and knowledge while discovering connections to future occupations and the need for life-long learning. Throughout this phase there would be a strong focus on application and technological literacy. Students would also begin to make education choices based on plans they create for their future life and work. "High Tech Schools" would reflect the high-tech nature of our society and students would begin to receivebasic technical skill training. Access to similar opportunities would also be available to incumbent or displaced workers through a seamless education system. Such workers would be able to strengthen core skills and/or learn to apply them to new opportunities.

Phase 4 - Work Preparation

Many students would enter this phase in high school and continue it in a post-secondary program. Others would begin after high school. This phase would focuse education and training on more specific occupational and career goals. A key to this phase would be work-based learning options that would allow people to try jobs they are considering while getting on-the-job experience to complement their education. Students’ education decisions would be driven by the goals they’ve derived from earlier career awareness and guidance activities.

During this phase, all education experiences would either directly focus on the individual’s occupational and career goals or connect with those goals. Whenever possible, people in this phase would participate in programs such as youth apprenticeship, cooperative education, internships and adult apprenticeships. These opportunities should also be available to incumbent and displaced workers.

Phase 5 - Early Employment

This phase would begin the transition from classroom-based experience to work-based application. It would typically begin upon completion of an education or training program that would include a degree or some type of skill certificate. There would be two critical components in this phase to ensure long-term success for the individual. There should be a clear recognition of the importance of continued education throughout one’s career, and every worker should receive mentoring.

The Early Employment phase should include concurrent educational experiences to allow new or retrained workers to progress, including mentoring focused on helping the worker adapt to the workplace and improve his or her technical skills. Both these activities should be geared toward retaining new workers and making their early experiences satisfying and rewarding.

Phase 6 - Skilled Expert

During this phase, workers would improve their skills – hopefully under the tutelage of a master in their trade or profession. The time and duration of this phase would vary depending on the depth of knowledge and skills needed in the profession and the speed with which they are learned and developed by the worker. Also during this phase, the worker would begin learning to teach and guide others in preparation for their future role as a mentor.

Phase 7 - Continuing Education

This phase would reflect the idea of life-long learning and overlap various other phases. Workers in this phase should take advantage of opportunities to improve their current skills and enhance their "portfolio" by developing skills that keep them desirable in the future workplace. Employers, labor organizations, educational institutions and government agencies should work to ensure such opportunities exist.

Phase 8 - Life-Work Leader

At some point in everyone’s life, they would use their knowledge and skills as a leader. As workers become masters at their trade or profession, they would adapt their role to include more mentoring, training and leading of less experienced and less skilled workers. Some people would demonstrate this leadership in their technical skills while others would do so in non-technical areas such as communications and teamwork. People who aspire to this level would be recognized for their critical role in building a stronger workforce. They would also be compensated for this high level of achievement.

Phase 9 - Workforce Re-entry

This phase recognizes the movement of people in and out of the workforce for a variety of reasons. During this phase, workers might need to develop new or strengthen existing skills to be prepared for new workforce opportunities. The workforce and education systems should be responsive to the needs of individuals in this phase preparing to re-enter the workforce. In a seamless system, a worker could re-enter any phase of the continuum based on his or her needs. They might do this to explore a new career, enhance current skills or develop complimentary skills.

Phase 10 - Career Emeritus

In contemporary America, the term "retirement" has already taken on a new meaning. Many people "retire" from one career and begin a new one. In other cases, people choose to do a very different job just to keep busy or earn extra money, and they have no advancement aspirations. This phase would be for just such people. It recognizes the great value experienced workers have even after they retire from the regular workforce. During this phase, individuals might participate in new self-awareness and career awareness activities. They might also begin new education and training programs. The systems in place for new and re-entering workers should be flexible enough to also be used by people in this phase.

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Summary

American society and culture are based largely on the concept of all citizens receiving a quality education and most citizens participating in the workforce. The society and culture of Wisconsin are even more closely tied to these activities as evidenced by our reputation for outstanding academics and a strong work ethic. The Life-Work Continuum provides a common vision for seamlessly linking life, work and education.

Wisconsin must make a commitment to this concept and revolutionize the way we help all people prepare for the future. Doing so would allow our citizens to adapt to changes in technology, industries and the economy and, once again, Wisconsin would show the rest of the world what is possible when people work together with a shared vision of the future. The founders of our country and state recognized the importance of education to maintaining a free and democratic society and a high standard of living. The Life-Work continuum lays a new foundation for providing that education. It reflects the progressive roots of our state and is built on the needs of our future.

ADULT APPRENTICESHIP – Registered Apprenticeship is the proven, time-honored premier training model for the skilled trades in Wisconsin. It provides a combination of classroom training, on-the-job training, and mentoring to help workers transition from education to work or from a previous to a new career. It allows workers to earn money while they learn a trade.

"Registered Apprenticeship describes those programs that meet specific federally approved standards designed to safeguard the welfare of apprentices. The programs are registered with the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT), U.S. Department of Labor, or one of 27 State Apprenticeship Agencies or Councils approved by BAT. Apprenticeships are relationships between an employer and employee during which the worker, or apprentice, learns an occupation in a structured program sponsored jointly by employers and labor unions or operated by employers and employee associations (The National School-to-Work Office, 1997)."

ADVANCED JOURNEY WORKER CREDENTIAL – an optional and voluntary program where individual journey level workers continue post apprenticeship training both in job experience and related technical training leading to an Advanced Credential.

APPLIED CURRICULUM – A curriculum that includes extensive activities requiring students to apply knowledge and skills from one or more disciplines to solve real-world problems or act on opportunities.

ARTICULATION AGREEMENT – A written understanding between a secondary school district and a post-secondary educational institution identifying which credits earned by secondary students are eligible to be counted toward the course requirements for specific post-secondary level programs and/or courses identified by the post-secondary institution.

BUSINESS AND EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS – As used in some federal and state grant programs, these are formal cooperative relationships between public schools or school districts and business that involve and benefit students, professional staff, the school/district, businesses, and the community.

CAREER AWARENESS – Activities that incorporate concrete examples to illustrate why people work, the kinds of conditions under which they work, the various levels of training and education needed to work, appropriate work behaviors, and how expectations at school are related to expectations in the world of work.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT – "Career development is the process through which an individual comes to understand his or her place in the world of work. Students develop and identify their careers through a continuum of career awareness, career exploration, and work exposure activities that helps them to discern their own career path. Career development encompasses an individual’s education and career-related choices, and the outcomes of those choices (The National School-to-Work Office, 1997)."

CAREER EXPLORATION – Activities focused on the entire career spectrum using clusters of similar and/or related careers as a framework to study all occupational groupswhile simultaneously evaluating personal interests and skills against the jobs studies. Career research and job shadowing are major career exploration strategies.

CAREER PLANNING AND PREPARATION – Activities that are focused on narrow career interest areas and the sampling of work in these areas. Focused career research identifying lifestyle preferences in relation to the demands of specific jobs, school supervised work-based learning such as cooperative education and youth apprenticeships are major strategies for career planning and preparation.

CONTEXTUAL LEARNING – See "Applied Curriculum."

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION – "Cooperative education is a structured method of instruction whereby students alternate or coordinate their high school or post-secondary studies with a job in a field related to their academic or occupational objectives. Students and participating businesses develop written training and evaluation plans to guide instruction, and students receive course credit for both their classroom and work experiences. Credit hours and intensity of placements often vary with the course of study (The National School-to-Work Office, 1997)."

CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT – "Curriculum alignment is when academic and vocational curricula are linked so that course content and instruction dovetail across and/or within subject areas. Curriculum alignment may take two forms: horizontal alignment, when teachers within a specific grade level coordinate instruction across disciplines, and vertical alignment, when subjects are connected across grade levels, in a cumulative manner, to build comprehensive, increasingly complex instructional programs (The National School-to-Work Office, 1997)."

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY – Devices and systems used to deliver education; generally communication technology equipment and the associated processes.

HIGH PERFORMANCE WORKPLACE – "A workplace that employs sophisticated, technically advanced and efficient production techniques. In order for this type of workplace to function, workers must be equipped with advanced thinking and occupational skills that enable them to learn on the job, adapt to rapidly changing technology, and work in teams to solve problems. In addition to their economic development potential, high performance workplaces may help drive school reform by providing educators with a set of occupational skill standards that are required for marketplace success (The National School-to-Work Office, 1997)."

INTEGRATED CURRICULUM – A curriculum that makes clear connections between academic and technical disciplines to foster the transfer of knowledge and concepts and enhance learning.

"Integrated curriculum is when academic and occupational or career subject matter – normally offered in separate courses – are taught in a manner that emphasizes relationships among the disciplines. Integrated curriculum may take many forms, ranging from the simple introductionof academics into traditional occupational courses to comprehensive programs that organize all instruction around career major themes (The National School-to-Work Office, 1997)."

JOB SHADOWING – A career exploration activity, typically in middle or high school, where a student follows an employee at his or her place of business for a short period of time (usually a few hours or a day) to learn about a particular occupation or industry. The student does no productive work and is not paid.

LIFEWORK PLANNING – The process by which elementary and secondary students identify and evaluate life and work choices, explore and plan career goals, and acquire realistic life and work decision-making skills.

PARTNERSHIPS – Relationships between or among individuals and/or organizations that combine the talents and resources of the partners to create opportunities that could not be provided by any of the partners working alone. The opportunities resulting from the partnership generally provide benefits to all the partners.

PTA – Parent Teacher Association

SCANS – "The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) was convened in 1990 to examine the demands of the workplace and to determine whether the current and future workforce is capable of meeting those demands. The commission identified five competencies (i.e., skills necessary for workplace success) and three foundations (i.e. skills and qualities that underlie competencies).

"COMPETENCIES – effective workers can productively use:

Resources – allocating time, money, materials, space, and staff;

Interpersonal Skills – working on teams, teaching others, serving customers, leading, negotiating and working well with people from culturally diverse backgrounds;

Information – acquiring and evaluating data, organizing and maintaining files, interpreting and communicating, and using computers to process information;

Systems – understanding social, organizational, and technological systems, monitoring and correcting performance, and designing or improving systems;

Technology – selecting equipment and tools, applying technology to specific tasks, and maintaining and troubleshooting technologies."

"FOUNDATIONS – competence requires:

Basic Skills – reading, writing, arithmetic and mathematics, speaking, and listening;

Thinking Skills – thinking creatively, making decisions, solving problems, seeing things in the mind’s eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning;

Personal Qualities – individual responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, and integrity (The National School-to-Work Office, 1997)."

SCHOOL-TO-WORK – The concept of "school-to-work" is one of preparing students to transition from K-12 education to employment either directly out of high school or through oneof many post-secondary training and education options. It is a means of making an otherwise purely academic education real by showing the applications beyond school. School-to-work encompasses all manner of developmental guidance activities from elementary through high school. It begins with activities for students to discover their likes, dislikes, and aptitudes. It progresses to information on jobs and careers. And it culminates in advanced technical courses related to a specific occupational area – hopefully including a work-based learning component. Business-education partnerships are a key component.

TECH PREP – As defined by the federal Department of Education is a program that provides technical preparation in a career field such as engineering, applied science, a mechanical, industrial or practical art or trade, agriculture, health occupations, business or applied economics, and must do the following:

• Combines at least two years of secondary and two years of post-secondary education in a sequential course of study without duplicative coursework.
   
• Integrates academic, vocational and technical education and, if appropriate and available, work-based learning.
   
• Provides technical preparation for careers.
   
• Builds student competence in core academic and technical areas.
   
• Leads to an associate or a baccalaureate degree or a post-secondary certificate in a specific career field.
   
• Leads to placement in appropriate employment or further education.

TECHNOLOGY – "The generation of knowledge and processes to develop systems that solve problems and extend human capabilities (Technology for All Americans, 1996)."

TECHNICAL EDUCATION – Instruction and educational experiences that result in knowledge about or skills in using a given technology. "Technical education typically includes the study of the sciences and mathematics underlying a technology, as well as the methods, skills, the materials commonly used and the services performed in the technology (The National School-to-Work Office, 1997)."

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION – A hands-on design and problem-solving-based program of studies that leads to technological literacy. Such a program should begin in the elementary school through integrated activities that demonstrate and give students experience with basic technology concepts. It continues through middle school by enhancing technical and higher order thinking skills while providing a means of applying knowledge from other disciplines. It culminates in high school with a broad understanding of the nature, impact, and potential of technology and an ability by students to create, manage, and use technology to solve problems and create opportunities.

TECHNOLOGICAL LITERACY – The ability to effectively use, manage, and understand technology. This includes understanding the nature of technology, being able to assess a given technology and its potential impacts and potential, and being able to forecast future technologies and their role in our society.

2 + 2 – A sequence of courses that links the last two years of secondary education with twoyears of post-secondary education. 2 + 2 is a major goal of Tech Prep, which involves high schools and technical colleges aligning course competencies so that students exiting high school are prepared to immediately enter a technical college program related to their high school program.

2 + 2 + 2 – An extension of the 2 + 2 curricular sequence that includes two additional years of post-secondary education at a baccalaureate degree-granting institution.

WASBA – Wisconsin Association of School Boards

WASDA – Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators

WCMP – Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity

WEAC – Wisconsin Education Association Council

WFT – Wisconsin Federation of Teachers

WMEP – Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership

WMI – Wisconsin Modernization Institute, Inc.

WORK – The responsibilities that adults and youth may have in their various life roles. In most cases, this will be a paid "job," but it can also include things such as homemaking, raising a family, doing service work (i.e., Peace Corps and Americorps), and volunteer activities – things that require "work," but for which people do not receive typical compensation.

WORK-BASED LEARNING – "Work-based learning experiences are activities at the high school level that involve actual work experience or connect classroom learning to work. The least intensive level of exposure to work-based learning might occur in traditional work experience and vocational programs that do not offer work site experience. The next level of exposure may entail the integration of academic and vocational/occupational curricula, as in the case of Tech Prep programs, but would not include work site experience. At the highest level, there is full integration of academic and vocational/occupational curriculum with work site experience (The National School-to-Work Office, 1997)."

WRTP – Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership

WSCA – Wisconsin School Counselors Association

YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP – A two-year, school-supervised, paid work experience that combines academic and technical classroom instruction with workplace learning. The classroom instruction is a four-semester, state-approved curriculum, typically for students in their junior and senior years. Upon successful completion, students are issued a certificate of occupational proficiency along with their high school diplomas.

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APPENDIX B: BIBLIOGRAPHY

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Benchmarks for Science Literacy: Project 2061, Oxford University Press, New York, 1993.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Focus on Technology Education, ASCD Curriculum Handbook, Winter 1998.

Boyer, Ernest L., High School: A Report on Secondary Education in America, Harper & Row, Inc., New York, 1983.

Commission of Schools for the 21st Century, A New Design for Education in Wisconsin: Schools Capable of Continuous Improvement, State of Wisconsin, Madison, 1990.

Davis, Stan and Botkin, Jim, The Monster Under the Bed, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1994.

Gardner, David P. et al, A Nation at Risk, National Commission on Excellence in Education, Washington, D.C., 1983.

Gray, Kenneth C. and Herr, Edwin L., Other Ways to Win, Corwin Press, Inc., California, 1995.

Hunter, John O., Technological Literacy: Defining a New Concept for General Education, Educational Technology, March, 1992.

Jensen, Eric, How Julie’s Brain Works, Educational Leadership (journal of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), November, 1998.

Johnson, James R., Technology Education: An Imperative, The Technology Teacher (journal of the International Technology Education Association), November, 1992.

International Technology Education Association, Technology for All Americans: A Rationale and Structure for the Study of Technology, ITEA, Virginia, 1996.

Lisensky, Robert P., Pfinster, Allan O., and Sweet, Sharon D., The New Liberal Learning: Technology and the Liberal Arts, The Council of Independent Colleges, Washington, D.C., 1985.

Naisbitt, John, Megatrends, Warner Books, Inc., New York, 1982.

The National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing, Preparing Technical Workers for the New Industrial Era: The Need for a Fundamental Shift in Federal Policy Toward Technical Education, NACFAM, Washington, D.C., 1993.

National Science Board, Educating Americans for the 21st Century, Washington, D.C., 1983.

The National School-to-Work Office, School-to-Work: Glossary of Terms, U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, Washington, D.C., 1997.

The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), Learning a Living: A Blueprint for High Performance, US Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., 1992.

The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), What Work Requires of Schools: A Scans Report for America 2000, US Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., 1991.

Tapscott, Don, The Digital Economy: Promise and Peril in the Age of Networked Intelligence, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1996.

Council on Workforce Excellence/Education and Training Committee, Report to the Governor: Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program, May, 1998.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Guide to Curriculum Planning in Technology Education, State of Wisconsin, Madison, 1988.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Lifework Planning Guide, State of Wisconsin, Madison, 1999.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Model Academic Standards for Technology Education, State of Wisconsin, Madison, 1998.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, The Wisconsin Developmental Guidance Model: A Resource and Planning Guide, State of Wisconsin, Madison, 1997.

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Wisconsin Projections 1996-2006: Labor Force, Industries, Occupations, State of Wisconsin, Madison, 1998.

For additional information and resources, also see the following:

The Journal of Technology Studies: A Refereed Publication of Epsilon Pi Tau, (http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTS/).

The Journal of Technology Education, (http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/jte.html).

APPENDIX C: YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP RECOMMENDATIONS

The following are recommendations for Youth Apprenticeship in Wisconsin as developed by the Council on Workforce Excellence/Education and Training Committee (Report to the Governor: Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program, May, 1998). The Governor’s Task Force on Technical Education recommends these strategies be adopted by the Governor and the legislature.

1. Recommend that the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) allow students with advanced skills to test out of one or more of the required courses in a given youth apprenticeship program, where appropriate. Local schools are encouraged to work with DWD to assure quality measures.
    
2. Recommend that the DWD and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) be required to align youth apprenticeship curriculum with core entry level courses in the Technical College system where available. The goal of this is to apply the advanced standing credits earned by youth apprentices to the core course requirements leading to two-year associate degree programs rather than to elective credits, where applicable.
    
3. Recommend that the DWD pursue the implementation of the Great Lakes Guarantee, thus aligning Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship standards with national skills standards supported by the Council of Great Lakes Governors and the National Skills Standards Board.
    
4. Recommend that the DWD conduct a statewide marketing campaign to increase participation on the part of employers, schools districts, parents, and students in Youth Apprenticeship.
    
5. Recommend that the DWD distribute fifth-year School to Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) funds based on the number of youth apprentices enrolled in programs, the number enrolled in AYES, and the number of students enrolled in Construction Trades, in the 1997-98 school year and projected to be enrolled in 1998-99. Partnerships receiving STWOA funds should be required to provide a dollar-for-dollar match for fifty percent of their grant.
    
6. Recommend that the DWD require a knowledge, skills and performance assessment for all youth apprentices before issuing a Youth Apprenticeship Skill Certificate, using national and/or state tests as they become available. It is recommended that the applied knowledge taught in the youth apprenticeship curricula must be sufficiently difficult to assure comparable skills and aptitudes as required in the minimum high school graduation exam.
    
7. Recommend that the Department of Workforce Development and Department of Public Instruction (DPI) coordinate School-to-Work programs with the registered apprenticeship program to provide students with access to adult apprenticeship programs where applicable.
    
8. Recommend that the DWD, in collaboration with the DPI, the Wisconsin Technical College System Board (WTCSB), and the University of Wisconsin System (UWS) submit an annual report on the status of the youth apprenticeship program to the Council on Workforce Excellence, the Governor, and the Legislature. At a minimum, the report should include information describing the number of youth apprentices enrolled, the number of graduates by school district, graduate follow-up information, employer satisfaction data, employment and earnings data (from the Wisconsin Unemployment Insurance Wage Records), and data from the UWS and WTCSB student information systems that describe the participation, admission status, and academic progress of the youth apprentices in the state’s public post-secondary education systems.
    
9. Recommend to the Governor and the legislature that it maintain the employer grants in the 1999-2001 budget. In addition, all employers who have second-year youth apprentices should receive a $500 credit to be made available to incumbent workers in the company for additional skill training at their local technical college. This credit would be available for a period of three years.
    
10. Recommend that DWD develop a budget request to support the implementation and coordination of the proposed recommendations and program maintenance.
     
11. Recommend implementation of the guiding principles in the Addendum.
     
12. Recommend that the DWD enroll 5,000 students statewide in the Youth Apprenticeship program, and develop curricula for a total of 30 Youth Apprenticeship programs by 2001, and that the DWD seek appropriations at a level to cause this to happen.

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MEMBERSHIP: Governor's Task Force on Technical Education

Co-Chairs:

David Eberhardt - Operations Manager, Tecumseh Products Company, Grafton Phil Neuenfeldt - Secretary-Treasurer, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, Milwaukee

Members:

Bryan Albrecht - Division Director, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction,      Madison Dr. Richard T. Anderson - President/District Director, Waukesha County Technical College, Pewaukee Lyle Balistreri - President, Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council, Milwaukee Fred Beyer - Technology Education Teacher, Shawano Community High School, Shawano Dr. John R. Birkholz - President, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee Sheila D. Cochran - Recording Secretary, United Auto Workers Local 438, Milwaukee Peter D. Fox - Secretary, Department of Employment Relations, Madison Dr. Bert Grover - Special Assistant to the Governor On School to Work, Gresham Ted Hutton - Retired, Director of Community and Governmental Relations, Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley, Milwaukee Dr. William A. Ihlenfeldt - President, Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire Richard L. Kolbe - Vice-President/CIO, Giddings and Lewis Inc., Fond du Lac Gene Kussart - Special Assistant to the Governor for Building Tomorrow's Workforce, Madison Thomas Lesch - Director, District 10, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Milwaukee Clark Lovell - Education Services Director, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Douglas Moquin - People Development Director, Phillips Plastics Corporation , Phillips Daniel Nerad - Assistant Superintendent, Green Bay Area Public Schools, Green Bay Gerard Randall - President, Private Industry Council of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Darlene Rindo - Training and Development Manager, Harley-Davidson, Waukesha G. Dean Smith - Human Resources Director, Waukesha Engine Company, Waukesha Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher - Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee

 

WORKGROUP COMMITTEE AND POLICY WRITERS

Lead Writer: Kevin Miller
Phil Albert		Rebecca Alsup		Gabrielle Banick-Wacker
Rhandi Berth		Joyce Christee		Jayson Chung
Kevin Folsum		Bruce Hagen		Roger Hinkle
Debbie Mahaffey		Matt Martini		Karen Morgan
JoeAnn Nicholas		Eric Parker		Vicki Poole
Linda Preysz		Mike Schallock		David Schuckert
David Schuckert		Mike Tokheim		Lisa Thompson-Soik
Geoff Upperton		Russ Wittkop

Cover Design and Layout: Greg Vogt