One of the purposes of education is to prepare students to become productive workers. Job skills have increased in importance as technology continues to advance. Education and other forms of training have become lifelong enterprises (Straszheim, 1997). The challenge for all levels of education is how to prepare students for a future workplace with technological requirements that may be far different from those that have been predicted. Consideration of school-to-career issues can be found at all levels of education, from elementary through undergraduate and graduate levels. Federal, state, and local governments have been actively involved in identifying and promoting the integration of occupational skills with curricula.

Historical Perspective

The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) was formed in 1990 by the U.S. secretary of labor to investigate the skills needed by young people to succeed in the world of work. Thirty representatives...