PILOTING PROJECTS ZERO IN ON BETTER EDUCATION

Integrating work experience with classroom education should produce graduates better prepared to enter the work force.

At least that's the premise of pilot projects being developed in Cape Girardeau, Columbia and St. Louis.

A team of educators and business representatives from the three communities met in St. Louis this week to discuss the project, developed by Missouri Commissioner of Education Robert Bartman.

Representatives from Cape Girardeau plan a meeting in August locally to begin the local project.

Randy Shaw, department chairman of industrial technology at Southeast Missouri State University, "We are looking at preparing graduates for working at whatever level the exit education, from high school, vocational training, junior college or a four-year college program.

"The plan is to provide them some actual related work experience integrated into their school work," Shaw said.

Universities and other schools have traditionally used internships as part of the educational process.

"Usually we think of the intern~ship as kind of a capstone experience during the senior year," Shaw said. "This concept goes a step farther in that the work experience is an integral part in various stages of their classroom work.

"It will take a partnership, a very direct partnership, and a long-term commitment from businesses and industry," Shaw said. "But I think it's an important thing to do for the work force of the 21st century."

Jim Englehart, director of secondary education for Cape Girardeau public schools, said, "Students should be able to go into the work force with identifiable work skills. This also encourages schools to make a serious effort to work with businesses in the community.

"Our school system will take the initiative to get a meeting of some business people together," Englehart said. "We're interested in it and we're looking for interest in the community."

Harold Tilley, director of the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School, said, "There has been some concern for some time that the school-to-work transition has not been as effective as it should be."

He added that state education officials are interested in ensuring Missouri youngsters are "world-class workers."

Tilley said students in Japan and Germany, for example, graduate with marketable job skills through apprenticeship programs.

"I don't think Americans are ready for something as rigid as an apprenticeship, where you would be locked in from an early age," Tilley said. "I think we're looking for something a little more flexible, like an internship program.

"This would involve working more closely with those individuals who hire our graduates and looking for more input into what they are looking for, as well as some guidance and money to help design some programs."

Tilley said similar activities are under way at the vocational school.

"We have COE, Cooperative Occupational Education," he said. "A lot of our COE program children are involved in the retail industry.

"I think we are looking at expanding that kind of program greatly to include all kinds of businesses and industries."

Edythe Davis, executive director of the St. Francis Foundation, also attended the meeting.

"I really do feel like internships are valuable. A lot of times students go into the educational experience with misconceptions," Davis said.

"Internships expose them to all different avenues. The sooner they have this opportunity, the better off they are in determining what kind of field is right for them."

Davis agreed that cooperation is the key to success for a program of this kind.

"I think this requires a very serious commitment from the person supervising the intern, and the business has to make this commitment," Davis said.

In turn, schools need to be adaptable and aware of the changing business climate.

Davis said educators have "got to go out and see what's happening in the work force and be able to work with the people and really what do we want.

"I think this is a good step in the right direction toward increasing the educational levels needed to meet the workplace needs," Davis said.

She said businesses, like St. Francis Medical Center, already offer internships and other career-awareness type activities.

The proposal would intensify that commitment.

"Businesses and industries may have to take this as a social responsibility or way of insuring that in the future they will have the kind of employees they will need," Davis said.