Bailey, T., Hughes, K., & Barr, T. (1998). Achieving scale and quality in school-to-work internships: Findings from an employer survey (MDS-902). Berkeley: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, University of California.

INTRODUCTION

       Work-based learning is a central component of the school-to-work strategy. Yet this component is particularly difficult to set up and institutionalize because it requires that educators and program organizers find appropriate settings where students can have work-based learning experiences. Some alternatives, such as school-based enterprises, workplace simulations using computerized technology, or service learning, can be carried out within the school or at least without the direct participation of employers.[1] Other techniques, such as job shadowing or mentoring, require minimal commitment from employers. Nevertheless, a widespread system of work-based learning in the form of internships or apprenticeships will need to involve thousands of employers willing to provide placements. Paul Osterman (1995) estimates that if 25% of all high school juniors and seniors take part in work-based learning, 1.5 million work placements will be needed every year. Furthermore, those employers need to be willing to work with schools to see that those placements have educational value. Reluctant employers are not likely to cooperate enthusiastically in creating a positive learning environment on the job. Thus, the process of employer recruitment also has a strong bearing on the quality of internship placements.

       This report examines the issue of employer participation in the school-to-work strategy by comparing the characteristics of participating employers to a comparison sample of nonparticipating employers. We are particularly interested in identifying the motivations of employer participants. In a highly competitive market environment, employer self-interest is probably a more stable basis for long-term participation than participation based on philanthropic or community service motivations. We also explore the quality of work-based learning placements and try to identify the relationship between the characteristics and motivations of employer participants and the quality of the internships that they provide. By better understanding the process of employer recruitment and the motivations of participants and how those relate to the quality of placements, we hope to help program operators find an adequate number of good-quality placements. The report is based on information gathered through a multilevel research design in which we have combined case studies of specific programs with a survey of employers participating in those programs and a survey of a comparison group of nonparticipating employers in those same labor markets.

       In the next section, we review existing research on employer participation. The following section examines the determinants of participation and the motivations of participants. Then, we look at the quality of placements and end with a summary and conclusions.

[1] For a review of the variety of roles that employers can play, see Stern (1995).

Bailey, T., Hughes, K., & Barr, T. (1998). Achieving scale and quality in school-to-work internships: Findings from an employer survey (MDS-902). Berkeley: National Center for Research in Vocational Education, University of California.