6 lessons for Cleveland from European school-to-work models: Pathways to Prosperity

Career and Technical Education schools teach teens a mix of academic and technical requirements so they can choose to pursue a career in the trades industry upon graduation.

As the number of mining jobs in Colorado has decreased, solar power holds the promise of future employment opportunities, as exemplified by an educational program at Delta High School. The class “Solar Energy Training” prepares high school seniors for jobs in the burgeoning solar industry. The program also helps the school reduce energy costs and engage students in a new way.

Facing labor shortages, Idaho is seeing a new wave of apprenticeship programs for high school students. Through the Student to Registered Apprentice Program, participants complete a class and on-the-job training while still in high school.

The Marrakesh-based Amal for the Culinary Arts offers Moroccan women from disadvantaged backgrounds free training in order to become culinary chefs. Through the program they get hands on experience. They also help them find a job. Already, around 200 women have gone through the program, and six have created their own businesses.

Closing the achievement gap requires raising the expectations not only of students, but also of leadership and institutions. In Pike County, Alabama, the school district has improved its learning outcomes by investing more in students and leadership, thanks to a crucial one-penny sales tax in favor of the schools. In addition to taking better care of teachers, the district monitors data at the student—not subgroup—level, and offers curricula with community college credits. The district has also launched an Advanced Academics and Accelerated Learning program.

Despite heavy pressure, attending college is not for everyone, and a university degree no longer guarantees job placement; meanwhile industries like manufacturing are facing a decline in interested, qualified workers. Various initiatives in Massachusetts are implementing accessible job training programs, especially for minorities, that are helping to place people in manufacturing jobs that provide improved economic opportunity, while hopefully positioning the state for burst of industrial growth.

The Pennsylvania College of Technology is preparing the workforce - and not just undergrad or graduate students - for dynamic and evolving industries through a "stackable credential" model. Built like a Lego pyramid, the program moves from foundational skills, such as applied mathematics, to industry certifications, and on to advanced degrees in a more accessible format to students who are already working full time and/or raising a family and need flexibility.

Since the 1960s, New York City has run the nation’s largest publicly managed summer jobs program. Nearly 50,000 14- to 24-four-year-olds spend six weeks working, not only in publicly funded day care centers, summer camps, hospitals and city agencies, but also high-tech firms and Fortune 500 companies. The summer jobs help at-risk kids keep from dropping out of school.

A new vocational school in Waco makes a promise to its graduates: A good-paying job. The school focuses on blue-collar skills with a practical edge, ensuring employability.

A career high school in Fresno offers 16 tracks ranging from game design to environmental science taught by a team of teachers with work background in the respective fields. Studies have found that students enrolled in the Center for Advanced Research and Technology attended community colleges at higher rates than "demographically-matched" students taking standard high school curriculum.