The Effect of Adolescent Employment on Vocational Development: Public and Educational Policy Implications

Recently, the National Center for Research in Vocational Education sponsored a study designed to examine the school and work connection in greater depth. The Learning through School Supervised Work Experience Programs (LSWEP) was a longitudinal survey of secondary and postsecondary students that began in 1988 and concluded in 1992, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education through the National Center for Research in Vocational Education (Cagampang, 1993). LSWEP students in the study were surveyed in the fall and spring of the baseline academic year, then once a year after that. In addition to questions about their family background, students were asked about their school experience, their work experience, their attitudes toward work, and their aspirations about their career and educational goals. Parallel surveys were completed by their teachers and employers to yield additional information about perceptions of school and work experiences. Students also provided transcripts to permit analysis of grades and coursework patterns.