Could “Cooperative Education” Help You?

By “Awake!” correspondent in Hawaii

“MOTHER, I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to do after graduating from high school,” remarked a 15-year-old girl. If you are a parent or youth still in school, no doubt those words have a familiar ring.

Wisely, the mother of Deborah, the girl just mentioned, did not let that seemingly passing remark by her daughter end there. Realizing that the girl was serious, the mother suggested that they discuss the matter with her father that evening.

During the family discussion, Deborah said that she did not wish to attend college. Instead of pursuing higher education, she wanted to learn to be a dental technician or a layout artist for an advertising firm or a daily newspaper.

Does a similar desire affect you or your family? It may be that Deborah’s experience can help you to take steps toward gaining maximum benefits from high school years.

Learning About “Cooperative Education”

That family conference was just the beginning. A few days later, Deborah’s parents visited her high school for an interview with a special career-oriented counselor. Possibly, the high school in your community has one of these advisers. The service that they provide may be very helpful. They can arrange for thorough aptitude testing of students, interpretation of such tests, and realistic matching of natural abilities with personal interests.

Deborah’s parents were surprised to learn that her school, though stressing college preparation, offered a number of alternative education programs, including “Cooperative Education,” sometimes called “Cooperative Work Experience.” This means training conducted by a school in cooperation with the local business and industrial community. “This arrangement,” the counselor pointed out, “allows for the students to receive valuable on-the-job work experience, earn credit toward their high school diploma and receive a minimum hourly wage or better, all at the same time.” The student goes to school part time and spends the rest of the time in the chosen field of work.

In Deborah’s case, this program would require that during three years of high school (sophomore, junior and senior years) she earn the normal eight “solid” credits in academics. These usually include three units in English, two in math, two in social studies and one in science.

The difference would rest in her “electives.” Normally these total seven to nine credits over the three high school years and involve courses such as physical education, music, library science, senior seminar, student government, art, and so forth. Cooperative Education takes the place of electives such as these. In their place is work-related classroom instruction and, later, actual experience on the job.

Diversified “Career Occupation Clusters”

The counselor explained that Cooperative Education involves a wide range of “Career Occupation Clusters.” These are overall areas of work that can cover hundreds of related fields. For example, the general area of “Health” would include dental technology, one of the fields of Deborah’s interest.

The available career clusters are quite diversified. Some examples are “Agriculture,” “Health,” “Manufacturing,” “Transportation” (auto mechanics, body and fender repair, heavy-equipment operation and maintenance), “Construction” (carpentry, drafting, masonry, plumbing, fundamental electricity), “Business and Office” (accounting, secretarial and general clerical training), “Communication and Media” (graphic arts, radio and television service, technical electronics), “Environment,” and “Consumer and Homemaking.”

Deborah chose dental technology. As a result, she enrolled in an on-campus program that covered work attitudes, technical terminology, proper dental-office manners, general office routine and common office forms used by dentists. By the end of her sophomore year, two dental clinics offered to take her in under the Cooperative Education program so that she would go to school half a day and spend the other half working at the clinic.

When the Family Moved

During the summer, between Deborah’s sophomore and junior years, a change in her father’s employment made it necessary for the family to move to Guam, a United States territory. Would this put an end to Deborah’s opportunities for Cooperative Education? By no means.

Prior correspondence with public school officials in Guam revealed that they had a vocational-technical high school with a similar arrangement. Of course, the types of programs available in different areas vary according to the needs of the local job market. Deborah learned that her new school did not include the field “Health,” with its subdivision of dental technology.

Yet, the school did offer “Communication and Media.” This features training in graphic arts and includes advertising art and newspaper layout work, Deborah’s other area of interest. Within three months of settling in Guam, Deborah accepted an assignment as a trainee layout artist on the editorial staff of one of the island’s two daily newspapers.

The program was well supervised. Each month the Cooperative Education coordinator conducted with Deborah and her work supervisor or employer a “trainee evaluation study.” Items on which she was graded included grooming, attitude toward work and training, ability to communicate, knack at planning work and working under minimum supervision, capacity for cooperating with fellow workers and accepting responsibility, safety habits, efficiency at using tools and materials, application of techniques and methods as instructed, and degree of advancement in skills and knowledge.

Persons who enter such programs must be willing to put forth effort. A youngster must have, at the time of enrollment and throughout the enrollment period, superior attendance and average or better academic achievement. Too, there is need for endorsements from both the school instructor in the chosen vocation and the Cooperative Education coordinator. This is to verify that the student is ready for on-the-job training.

Does Cooperative Education interest you? If so, likely you will profit from discussing the matter as a family. Then get in touch with your local school guidance counselor. He can be of help in selecting an appropriate type of work. For many who do not wish to attend college, Cooperative Education may open up fine opportunities.