Since 1992, National 4-H Council has recognized the growing concerns over the issue of preparing youth to enter American's workforce in the 21st Century. In response to these concerns, National 4-H Council convened a design team of educators, business representatives, youth, agency representatives and community leaders to develop a conceptual framework to offer a systematic approach to prepare young people for employable futures. The result of this effort was a conceptual model for workforce preparation. While the model preceded passage of the Federal School to Work Opportunities Act, it fits the intent of the Act and serves as an exceptional tool for those communities planning School-to-Work initiatives.
The model addresses the developmental phases of youth and, at the same time, encourages youth to enter the learning opportunities at any point in their personal experience. Attention is given to the support structures (mentors, coaches, family members) experiences available to youth and building systems to expand the opportunities. Partnerships and coordination among a wide variety of community-based agencies and organizations will be a key to effectiveness. Curriculum can be developed and funding sought for development of resources to implement the model, one phase or one component at a time.
A picture of the Workforce Model can be found in the PDF file for Child Care Connections Volume 3 Issue 3.