Table of Contents

Letter from AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney

Introduction

Work and Today's Youth

Unions and School-to-Work

Questions and Answers

Alternate Funding Sources

Online Resources

Bibliography

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

How do we best prepare our young people today to enter a world of work far different than the one we knew when we were their age? This is a fundamental challenge and responsibility we must accept as parents, union members and workers.

For most teenagers, work has become a fact of life. Before they reach 17, over one-fourth of all teens are working regularly in a part-time job while attending school. And by the time they graduate, over three-fourths will be employed during the school year. We must ask ourselves: how are these first work experiences shaping young people’s views about what it means to be a worker today and in the future?

This guide describes a wide range of activities and programs undertaken by unions and their members to reach out to teenagers before they graduate from high school. Some focus on introducing youth to future careers and training opportunities and others help youth learn from their current jobs.

Many of the programs described in this guide were supported by the National School-to-Work Opportunities Act, one of President Clinton’s first legislative initiatives, which was backed by the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers and other unions.

All youth—especially those who do not finish college—can benefit from direct interaction with adults from various occupations and workplaces. While School-to-Work may sunset as a federal act in the fall 2001, we should find ways to strengthen our connections with young people, both in the classroom and on the job.

Each of us can probably recall the excitement and the anxiety we experienced on our first jobs and perhaps how a caring adult helped us find our own way and our own voice at work. It is now our obligation to do the same for this next generation of workers.

In Solidarity,

John J. Sweeney

President, AFL-CIO