U.S. Chamber Issues School-to-Career Guide

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The Center for Workforce Preparation, an affiliate of the United States Chamber of Commerce, issued a School-to-Career toolkit in collaboration with 30 state and local chambers across the country, designed to enhance chamber partnerships with local schools to educate and train tomorrow's workforce.

"At a time when one-third to one-half of high school graduates are ill equipped for the working world or college, School-to-Career programs have demonstrated success in helping students find the right career path, see the relevance of their education and succeed in and out of the classroom," said Beth Buehlmann, executive director of the Center for Workforce Preparation.

The programs provide classroom instruction based on high academic and business-defined skill standards and work-based learning through career exploration, work experience, training and mentoring.

"School-to-Career programs are essential to building a skilled workforce," said Buehlmann. "The toolkit will equip chambers to educate local businesses and encourage lasting partnerships between businesses and schools to address skill shortages."

The Center for Workforce Preparation (CWP) helps chambers of commerce across the country develop workforce strategies to enable their members' employees to compete in the 21^st century. Since 1991, CWP has helped state and local chambers better engage in workforce development and promoted quality education by providing tools, models and best practices.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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