ACE-DHH K-12 Collaboration Project
Strategies that Work
by Keith Baker, Instructor
The Problem:
The Career Technology Education (CTE) Program at the Texas School for the Deaf
has several programs in which students may learn technical and vocational knowledge and job skills. We want every student choosing to study in one of the CTE program areas to have basic knowledge and work skills upon graduation from high school so that they may be successfully employed. CTE program areas may be found at http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/academics/careertech/index.htm.
I teach in the Auto Collision Repair program http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/academics/careertech/autocollision/factsheet.html and one of the problems that I have discovered is that students do not have early work experiences that have provided a positive work experience. As a consequence, students often do not have a strong motivation to enter the work force after high school. There is also the problem with students who draw SSI. SSI is often a disincentive to work, because they would lose benefits if they were employed.
The Solution:
I believe that families are the most important solution to this problem. Early work experiences begin at home. Kids may be given responsibilities such as mowing grass, caring for younger children, etc. which helps to develop work habits and discipline. Families that take the effort to teach their children how to work and are also role models for work, help their children benefit in the future. Teenagers should have increasing responsibility. They should have as many, varied work experiences as possible from working at fast food restaurants, delivering pizza, to starting their own small businesses. Then when they enter high school they will be more willing to try new career areas because they understand what work means and the benefits that it brings, both through wages and through intrinsic rewards.
The Impact:
If children receive early work experiences that are positive, if they have increasingly more responsibility through varied work experiences, then this creates a positive experience and feelings of success. They will have a more positive self esteem than if no early work experiences are provided. Further, if students have early work experiences where they experience success, then they will be more likely to be motivated to try new jobs as young adults and not get stuck in the SSI system.