High-performance workplaces are gradually replacing the factories and offices where Americans used to work, where decisions were made at the top and most employees merely followed instructions. The old top-down workplace doesn't work any more. That's because the old competitive advantages--large scale and specialized machines doing the same operations over and over--have been eroded by global competition and by new technologies capable of performing many different functions.While most jobs are still in old-style workplaces, more and more high-wage opportunities are to be found in these high-performance work organizations (HPWOs). Yet vocational education--and many say our school system as a whole--is not preparing students for HPWOs. The 1991-1994 National Assessment of Vocational Education found that HPWOs are much less likely than traditional employers to give good ratings to secondary vocational programs. The reason may lie in the narrow skill training of many vocational programs. Providing students with strong experience in and understanding of all aspects of the industry goes a long way toward preparing students for the flexibility and shared decision-making of HPWOs.
Most importantly, AAI addresses the need for well-rounded, well-educated citizens. As teachers help students to analyze community issues and to understand how industries function, they are increasing student--and thus, community--capacity to identify and meet community needs.