WORKPLACE SKILLS
Several years ago, through a state 'School-to-Work' grant, Mr. Bob Seastrom, President, Seastrom Manufacturing, and a team of other industry leaders, Chambers of Commerce, and educators did an excellent job in surveying a codifying what employers were expecting from graduates of high school technical programs. Interestingly, industry leaders also committed themselves to the teaching-learning process of the student-intern. This level of industry commitment to help interns develop these skill sets is a great example of a true partnership between education and industry. It was intended that this certificate would be part of the student's graduating portfolio and could be part of a student's work application later on.
In 1991 the Federal Secretary of Labor appointed the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) to determine the skills our young people need to be successful in the world of work. The primary objective was to help teachers understand how curriculum and instruction must enable students to develop these high performance skills needed in a high performance workplace.
Interestingly enough these very workplace skills are still being validated each year in survey after survey of business leaders. Your Construction Program must address these workplace skills or you will be doing a grave disservice to your students.
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