Kinsley
High School
Kinsley,
Kansas
Teacher:
Dr. Galen R. Boehme
Establishing
a Youth Apprenticeship in Computer Science
By Alisha Herrmann
Even
though the drawbacks of low wages and menial work exist, a youth
apprenticeship program focusing upon a computer technology will benefit the
students of Kinsley High School in at least three ways: On-the-job training,
credible experience, and knowledge required to further our education in the
computer field.
A
youth apprenticeship is a program where young people experience under the
guidance of an experienced craftsman an occupation that they might want to
explore for college training. In our
community we have several options to explore that will enhance a computer
apprenticeship program that is partnered with our local high school.
A-1 Computers, our local Internet provider and computer repair shop,
will be an excellent partnership to start an apprenticeship program.
Working with an experienced computer associate will benefit any person
interested in computers. Another
option is the program called Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) that
our high school is in the process of putting into its curriculum.
The program is four semesters long and starts when the student is a
junior in high school. This
program allows students to study towards a CCNA certificate while still
receiving high school credits.
The
benefits of a youth apprenticeship program in the field of computers are
on-the-job training, credible experience, and knowledge to further our
education in the computer field. On-the-job
training is a definite asset. When
an employer sees that I have computer experience, I become more marketable.
Credible experience comes with on-the-job training because my work can
be backed up with proof of good training. I then become an experienced
candidate for a position. Furthermore,
I gain with my pre-college training. When
we enter college, we do not have to "waste" one or two years in
college trying to figure out what career we want to pursue.
We can then take more advanced courses in computer science.
We will also know how to troubleshoot problems in a computer, how to
fix the hardware of the computer, and how to network a computer system
together. The three benefits listed above are the framework to becoming a
successful computer associate. If
we can begin studying the basics of computers in high school, we will be that
much further ahead when we begin our college careers.
With
the benefits come some drawbacks. The
drawbacks of a youth apprenticeship program are low wages, menial work, and
dependence on the master craftsman’s knowledge.
Low wages and a lot of hard work usually come with being a novice.
Working with little to no experience does not justify paying us big and
working us little, so we have to do what we are told and not complain.
We might also receive some menial work that the master craftsman might
not want to do. We have to take
it with stride and try to learn from everything that we do, no matter the
task. We can conquer the low
wages and menial work issue by looking to the future and realizing that all
the hard work we do now will pay off in the end.
Also, by sacrificing while we are young and by doing the “dirty”
work, we can enjoy the success we will have when we are older and more
successful in life. The biggest
drawback to the proposed youth apprenticeship is the dependence on the master
craftsman’s knowledge. We are
limited to the knowledge of the master craftsman himself.
We will only be able to learn as much as he knows which could be a very
large drawback for the student apprentice.
To overcome this dependence we must take the initiative and give our
teacher motivation to educate in every possible way.
While learning from the craftsman we might also teach our apprentice a
few points along the way like patience, understanding, and listening skills.
We must work hard to overcome the barriers and strive to fully benefit
from the positive aspects of the program.
By
overcoming the obstacles of low wages, menial work, and dependence on the
master craftsman we can focus on a youth apprenticeship program in a computer
field that will benefit the students of Kinsley High School in three ways: On
the job training, credible experience, and enhanced knowledge.
Answer
To Questions
1.
In our community we have four programs currently operating on the
school-to-work philosophy. They
are at the Medicalodge, Duckwall’s, Midway Auto-Body, and A-1 Computers.
Medicalodge
of Kinsley is a skilled nursing facility providing standard geriatric nursing,
medication supervision and assistance with personal needs. Medicalodge
provides an excellent source of experience for students who want to gain
knowledge in the nursing/medical field. Medicalodge is very flexible with the
students and will work with a student's schedule to provide a better working
environment. Duckwall’s as a
variety store sells about everything that we need.
The students who intern at Duckwall’s gain experience working with
people and learning about business operations.
The students are given responsibilities that force them to work for
their money. This apprenticeship
is a good example of experimental learning. The students are participating in
this program to see if that is what they want to do for a job field.
Midway Auto-Body is also an excellent youth apprenticeship program for
individuals that enjoy repairing vehicles.
The student has the opportunity to work hands-on with auto body repair
and will have credible experience that will help that student find a job after
he/she leaves high school. A-1
Computers gives students, who want to go into a computer field, credible
experience at a younger age. A-1
Computers is an Internet provider and a computer repair shop.
This apprenticeship program also gives the students hands-on experience
that will put them ahead when they further their education in the computer
field.
Our community has an excellent variety of youth apprenticeship programs
to offer young students. We need
to promote them more and persuade more students to participate in youth
apprenticeships in order for the program to succeed in the future.
2.
In Kansas we have a statewide youth apprenticeship program, called
School-to-Career. School-to-Career (STC) is designed to accomplish three major
goals – economic development, education reform, and workforce development.
For that reason STC is located in the state education department, with
the Kansas Workforce Investment Board. Many
large companies such as Boeing and Sprint - to name a few - participate, along
with 100 colleges and technical schools in this statewide program.
The School-to-Career program stated above is an excellent
program, but does not work for rural areas where there are not very many large
companies present or a lot of colleges nearby.
Therefore, rural communities face significant economic and demographic
challenges when trying to design a school-to-work program.
We must try to expand economic opportunities for all students, not just
those students in the city. The
school-to-work programs can help to ensure the vital contribution of these
students and their schools to the nation’s economy.
School-to-work
proposals are attempting to provide young women with access to the same
opportunities as young men, particularly in "non-traditional
occupations" where women represent less than 25 percent of the
individuals employed. For example, skilled trades, technology, and science
occupations are promising non-traditional fields of work for young women.
School-to-work can help young women develop the skills required for these
occupations and show them that these careers are viable alternatives. 3
A case study examined factors such as family characteristics, learning
process, and career maturity (readiness for transition from school to work) to
better determine the importance of the family in preparing youth for work.
Results corroborate some earlier research, and further identify some
characteristics of families and issues of policy that are important in
preparing youth for this transition. Researchers
want to make sure that teenagers are ready to experiment in the business
world. They do not want to force
any students into trying a youth apprenticeship if they are not mentally ready
for the challenge. On the other
hand, they want to tap in to the teenagers that are ready to explore careers
and give them an edge on the business world.
There
are many possible programs that we can establish in the state of Kansas, but
we cannot put the process off. We
must take the initiative and push for a statewide program that will help fund
the program and train personnel for the jobs.
A youth apprenticeship in Kansas would benefit future teenagers and
give them an opportunity to experience business like situations.
3.
While Bill Clinton was in office Congress passed a bill, that he
approved, that will help companies fill empty positions in high-tech fields.
This bill will allow more people to come from foreign countries, but will
raise the fee so that the American workers are still protected from foreign
competition. The Bill H-1B deals
with increasing the number of high-tech- oriented H-1B visas doled out each
year to skilled foreign workers and a second bill raising the application fee
for those visas. This bill will
provide the staff that high-tech companies need plus additional funds for the
training and education of Americans. If
the bill did not pass, American companies would have faced a gaping nationwide
work force shortage, a warning that the high-tech industry leaders had
frequently repeated. The companies knew that if Congress failed to approve
H-1B legislation, a growing number of information technology jobs would be
shipped offshore. This
legislation is an excellent example of why we need to start training high
school student for future jobs that could be lost if we do not act now.1
In a surprising reversal, President Clinton told a group of Silicon
Valley executives that he opposed the California measure that would expand
investors' rights to sue companies over financial projections.
Clinton had all but promised to sign a bill that would protect
high-tech companies from being sued if they do not meet their projected
earnings or stock price for that year. This
bill would help companies stay afloat and give them a chance to spend their
money on the future, possibly on youth apprenticeship programs.
This bill would have taken a lot of weight off of the company's
shoulders, but now that it did not pass many companies are worried about their
future in the high-tech industries.2
4.
A business that should look into becoming a partner with the school is
our local grocery store. I know
past and present students from our high school work at the store now, so why
not have them work as an intern in high school to have even more experience? As
juniors and seniors, the students could go to work and participate in other
job-related activities that they may not have time to learn while working.
The grocery store is an excellent place to learn about responsibility,
communication, and teamwork. Working
in any job field requires responsibility, but in this case it takes a little
more. The reason is because we,
as teenagers, are watched over like a hawk to see if we mess up.
Therefore, we must not falter with our responsibilities so that the
grocery store manager will believe in us and give us a chance to show him that
we can handle the responsibilities that he presents to us.
Working at our local grocery store would also improve our communication
skills because we would be interacting with people everyday.
Communication is a skill that everyone needs. Communication is the way
that we as young adults know the world. By
asking questions and receiving answers we can learn insights about the world
that we may never know otherwise. Teamwork
is also a vital trait to have before heading off into the business world.
If we are not a team player, then we will not succeed in the business
world. By working in a grocery
store we can learn this valuable trait and put it into action as soon as we
hit the business world. These
three valuable traits will help anyone who is willing to work and listen,
succeed in the business world.
5.
“Outcome based” means the ability to learn a skill that can then be
applied on the job or, put in another way, learning by doing.
Outcome-based learning is a hands-on way of learning a skill.
It is applying what we know to what the companies want us to know or
demonstrate. The instructor or teacher will then assess that person's ability
to complete a task by what the student has shown them they can do.
Outcome-based
learning is a very applicable way of learning for our changing work place.
Outcome-based apprenticeships are a more realistic approach to learning
in our ever-changing society. A
good example of an outcome-based apprenticeship is a radiology technician.
When the student completes the schooling, he must be able to take
quality x-rays. The student
cannot just say that he has completed the required courses.
He must be able to produce an x-ray. This is why I say an apprentice
must show that he can do the job before he receives a certificate to exercise
his intended job field. Outcome-based
apprenticeships are a new and upcoming way to learn in high school.
We cannot let the opportunity to become involved in the program slip
past us much longer.
6.
Three reasons the AFL-CIO might be opposed to youth apprenticeship
programs are the efforts to undercut child labor laws, the deceptive use of
the name, and the misunderstanding of the word "apprentice" and
"registered apprentice." Child labor laws are clearly stated and
should not be pushed aside for the benefit of promoting apprenticeship
programs. The unions are under a
close eye when it comes to obeying the laws.
The companies do not want to feel as if they have to be sneaky when it
comes to trying to design an apprenticeship program.
The unions also feel that the name needs to be clarified for the
benefit of the older people who went through the registered apprentice
programs. This delay will cause
the installment of the apprentice programs in large companies to be delayed.
The unions express concern that too many people may be learning the trade.
This problem could cause potential backlash from older union members
and could affect program participation.
7.
Three reasons employers might be opposed to youth apprenticeship
programs are workers are too frequently younger, are better educated, and will
work at a lower rate of pay. Younger
worker could possibly cause a conflict with older, more experienced, but less
educated workers. The key to youth apprenticeship is the master worker, who
can train the apprentice. This creates an increased rate of pay for the
master, perhaps causing more strain on the employer. The employer needs to try
to focus on achieving the highest possible level in the youth apprenticeship
program for the present and future success of the company.
8.
In what is said to be the first of its kind of aviation partnership,
students from Aviation High School can now gain hands-on experience while
working on state-of the-art equipment. The
John F. Kennedy Airport, the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, the New
York City Board of Education, and the New York State Education Department have
developed a program that will help students make an easier transition from the
high school to the business world. Upon
completing the school’s regular four-year program, top students will have
the opportunity to spend an extra year at the new annex where they will work
on state-of-the-art aircraft technology, some of which is unavailable at the
school’s main campus. The students will then pursue internships with several
participating JFK airlines. The program officials then hope that the students
will strive to achieve professional licensing, which could lead to profitable
careers in this expanding field. Many
of the program supporters feel that the youth apprenticeship program that they
have in effect is a wonderful opportunity for the community people and the
business world to come together and work with each other.
Aviation High School is a fully accredited high school in the State of
New York and has a curriculum that is approved by the FFA and New York State
Education Department.
9.
The differences between contextual
learning, applied learning, community-based learning, and experimental
learning can be found by defining the words.
Contextual learning is learning from a book or written word.
Education specialists are now emphasizing practical instruction rather
than theoretical instruction when applied to concrete learning.
Applied learning is hands-on learning.
Applies learning can also be thought of as heads-on learning because
the students must be able to utilize for the skills that they learn.
Community-based learning is working with other people in a group
setting. A good example of this
is when the local high school seniors clean the Weyrick parking lot.
The seniors must work together to clean the parking lot to receive open
lunch on Friday's. Community-based
learning is an excellent way to develop teamwork skills and communication
skills. Experimental learning is
learning by doing or by experiencing the job firsthand.
A good example of this is working on a farm.
My father, a farmer, has told me that he has learned a lot of what he
does now from helping his dad and by experimenting with different procedures.
He realizes that he is taking a chance when he experiments with his way
of life, but he has told me that he has to stay on top of new technology and
not fall behind. That is exactly
what youth apprenticeships do. They
help high school students learn the new ways or the old ways of doing the job
that the students want to learn, earlier than they would if they waited until
after high school to experiment.
10.
The word that described the federal government's role is catalyst.
A catalyst is defined as one that starts a process or event, without
being involved in or changing the consequences.
Some organizers of youth apprenticeship do not want the government to
control their programs. They want
the government to help them get the program on its feet and rolling.
Many youth apprenticeship organizers feel that the more that the
government is involved, the more restrictions will be put on the youth
apprenticeship programs. Program
officials do not want a lot of paper work to have to deal because they feel
that it will slow the progression of the youth apprenticeship programs.