*Part II English Regents*
*Written as a persuasive letter to a school board.*
*Let me know what you think please.*
The career guidance class, including myself, feels that it would be valuable for students of all ages in our school to be exposed to actual job sites in the community before they even leave high school. School-to-work programs should be considered for our school because there are many benefits to gain by all parties involved. Although help will be needed from the community and it may be difficult to maintain one of these programs, it will give students significant experience to further their education, and therefore, on behalf of the career guidance class, I’m asking all of you to evaluate the possibilities.
Establishing and maintaining a school-to-work program isn’t always possible. Certain conditions need to be met in order for the program to be possible in a given community. The most important of these conditions is simple: interest. The program won’t be possible if businesses within the community have no interest in training their future work force years early. Fortunately, some businesses have already shown that they are willing to take part in the task of educating children in a more hands-on way. The Eastman Kodak Company, for example, introduces children in Colorado to principles of business by helping them construct a model city out of cardboard and then helping the students select the best locations for a business, or, in their case, a lemonade stand. Businesses offer a variety of school-to-work programs, and students can decide which option would fit them best. 19 percent of businesses offer mentoring programs, in which an employee is assigned to a specific student. Closely following, 18 percent offer job shadowing programs, in which students follow employees for a short period of time to learn more about the employee’s job.
High percentages of businesses offer school-to-work programs because there are multitudes of ways in which they benefit from them. Primarily, the citizens in American schools today are the same citizens that will be in American businesses tomorrow. By teaching students the principles and concepts that are needed in their field of industry, they are ensuring that their company’s future will be secure, as their future work force will be on the right path to learning the right skills before they even arrive on site for their job. In fact, students are often given the same introduction to the company that businesses give their new hires. Aside from effects of school-to-work programs that are essentially long term benefits, there are also some that help businesses on a shorter term basis. For example, they will be able to pay lower wages to an intern while he or she performs secretarial or clerical duties than a full time, adult employee. Therefore, the 14 percent of companies that offer internships save money by doing it. The businesses taking part in school-to-work programs also benefit from a marketing standpoint. For example, a business like Kodak in Colorado plays such an important role in the development of their community’s students, they may use it to their advantage. In advertisements, while competing for business, the company may mention how helpful they are to the community as opposed to the company that they compete with. School-to-work programs are clearly beneficial to businesses.
School-to-work programs are classified as “win-win” situations, because both parties benefit. As much as it seems as though the programs help the business involved, just as much benefit is gained by the student involved. First, and perhaps most important to a student at the time, students may be financially compensated as a part of their program. Registered Apprenticeships, Cooperative Education, and Internships are all programs in which students may be paid. Another form of financial compensation, college scholarships, is also given to students by some businesses. Another immediate benefit of these programs for students is that the hands-on work might be a fun experience. Opposed to the sometimes boring school day, which is composed mostly of sitting at a desk, the thought of a change in scenery, as well as learning about something that directly interests them may excite some students, which will transfer to a new enthusiasm towards school and learning in general. There are many broader benefits of the programs to students, as well. Students participating in profession exploration have been shown to perform better on state tests, take harder classes, have better grades, attendance records, and discipline records. These areas in which participating students excel are areas in which most colleges would be very interested in, therefore giving these students a better chance at being admitted to a better school. And, of course, students are also given a head start on preparing to enter the work force. Upon graduation of high school or college, these students will already be aware of the expectations that will be put on them in their field of choice. Because the benefits are so great, if the opportunity is available to students, they will take advantage of it.
I believe that it is one generation’s utmost responsibility to, above all other things, “pass the bataan,” if you will, as best they can. That is, a generation should do anything they can in order to produce a proceeding generation that has the opportunity to succeed in the way that they did. Although school-to-work programs are outside of the box and may make things more difficult for schools, by working together we can advance the intelligence of the country and maybe make it possible for future generations to surpass the bar that the current generation has set.
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