US BEHIND IN SCHOOL TO WORK, BUT #1 IN COLLEGE RATE WORLDWIDE Hey loopers, I finally found the web site that explains where the heck all these school to work ideas, and the 16 yr old Certificate of Mastery came from. This Dept of Ed page explains how education works elsewhere in the world, and sure enough, the US does not have a comprehensive school to work program, and believes that students should complete 12th grade in high school. Everybody ignores that the US (and Canada) lead the world in sending kids to college, so we're really comparing German kids sent to vocational school to US kids sent to community college or 4 year colleges. World-class means nations with LOWER rates of college than the US. EDUCATION INDICATORS: An International Perspective http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/eiip/index.html http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/eiip/eiip1s01.html Indicator 1: Enrolled Persons 5-29 Years Old ISCED levels of education In order to define levels of education uniformly across all countries, this publication uses terms that were developed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and have been agreed upon by all participating countries, but which might be unfamiliar to readers from the United States. These levels, called the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels, are used to compile internationally comparable statistics on education. The classification distinguishes between seven levels of education ranging from preprimary to tertiary. International definitions of preprimary, primary, and tertiary education are similar to the definitions used in the United States; however, lower and upper secondary education have slightly different meanings. Preprimary education (level 0), also called early childhood education, usually includes education for children aged 3-5, although in some countries, it starts as early as age 2 and in others continues through age 6. In the United States, preprimary education includes kindergarten. Primary education (level 1) runs from about ages 6-11, or about first through sixth grades in the United States. Specialization rarely occurs in any country before secondary education. Secondary education covers ages 11 or 12 through 18 or 19 and is divided into two levels: lower and upper secondary (levels 2 and 3). For the purposes of statistical comparability, the United States has defined lower secondary education as grades 7 through 9 and upper secondary as grades 10 through 12. In the United States, lower secondary education is the loose equivalent of intermediate school, middle school, or junior high school; however, in many other countries lower secondary education ends with an examination and constitutes the completion of compulsory education. Upper secondary education immediately follows lower secondary education and includes general (academic), technical, and vocational education, or any combination thereof, depending on the country. An upper secondary attainment level is roughly equivalent to a U.S. high school diploma. Higher education, also referred to as tertiary education, includes three ISCED levels and is the equivalent of postsecondary education in the United States. Nonuniversity higher education includes education beyond the secondary school level involving programs (e.g., vocational, community NOTE: For the attainment indicators, a person is classified in the highest level for which they completed the last grade or degree for the level. For example, a U.S. student must complete grade 9 in order to attain a lower secondary education and 2 years of higher education (associate's degree) in order to attain a nonuniversity higher education. college, and junior college programs) that terminate in less than a 4-year degree. This type of education is at ISCED level 5. ISCED level 6 comprises education programs that lead to a 4-year undergraduate degree. These programs are typically located in universities and other 4-year institutions. The highest level, ISCED level 7, includes graduate and professional degree programs. ISCED level Definition U.S. equivalent 0 Preprimary Kindergarten and below 1 Primary 1st-6th grades 2 Lower secondary 7th-9th grades 3 Upper secondary 10th-12th grades or first 3 years of vocational education 5 Higher education Community or junior colleges or vocational technical institutes (non-university) leading to an associate's degree 6 Higher education University or other 4-year education institution (university) leading to a bachelor's degree 7 Higher education A University or professional institute leading to (university) leading to a master's or doctor's degree *Early childhood education includes both preprimary and primary education, since there are variations in the definition of preprimary education among countries. -###- [Table of Contents] http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/eiip/eiip3s02.html EDUCATION INDICATORS: An International Perspective EDUCATION INDICATORS: An International Perspective http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/eiip/eiip3s01.html Indicator 3: Secondary Education Enrollment The structure of upper secondary education In the United States, a student's involvement in upper secondary education typically ends with graduation from high school at or around age 18. In other countries, however, because upper secondary education is structured differently, it is harder to pinpoint an age or an accomplishment that marks the end of involvement in secondary education. Thus, as the data from Indicator 3 show, upper secondary enrollment rates among people over the age of 19 remain relatively high for some countries (e.g., Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Switzerland), and tend to decrease after age 15_16 for others (e.g., the United Kingdom, Hungary, and the Czech Republic). Upper secondary school in the United States typically consists of 3 or 4 years of high school. High schools are usually comprehensive, meaning that they do not specialize in one type of program, such as vocational or college preparatory. Students may take some courses in a particular vocational area, although upper secondary school is not generally the time students receive essential training or credentials in vocational areas. On average, 1992 high school graduates earned about 4 credits in vocational courses compared with 17 credits in academic courses.1 For both college-bound and non-college-bound students, a high school diploma signifies successful completion of upper secondary education. Students then may continue on to postsecondary education or enter the workforce. Beyond the age of 18, few people are enrolled in upper secondary education. In other countries, upper secondary education can be structured quite differently from the comprehensive, general credential-granting high schools of the United States. In Germany, for instance, the secondary education system is differentiated according to students' postsecondary plans (i.e., university, technical school, or employment), beginning with lower secondary school; and students may earn credentials in a variety of fields. When students enter upper secondary school, they enroll in one of three types. Students who plan to attend a universityapproximately 25 percent of youth in a given age cohort2are usually already enrolled in Gymnasien, general academic high schools that prepare students to take the rigorous university entrance examination, the Abitur. Students not attending Gymnasien may enroll in full-time vocational schools, but the vast majority of students enroll in part-time vocational schools to participate in the dual system. The dual system is Germany's system of apprenticeship.3 It combines part-time study with part-time work in a specific occupational field. The dual system is the sole means of entry into over 400 occupations, ranging from highly technical fields such as electronics, to white-collar fields such as sales and administration, to traditionally blue-collar occupations such as mechanic, machinist, and craftsman.4 Because the certification offered by the dual system is a prerequisite for so many fields, not only do large numbers of students enter it directly after completing lower secondary school (i.e., approximately two-thirds of lower secondary school completers), but significant numbers of students enter it even after having earned secondary certification, either in another type of schooling or in a different occupational field within the dual system. Approximately 90 percent of lower secondary completers participate in the dual system at some point, although not all earn certification.5 Thus, unlike in the United States, upper secondary education in Germany offers a variety of credentials necessary for employment in certain occupations. In order to earn those credentials, people outside the typical age range will enroll or re-enroll in upper secondary school. As in many states in the United States, school attendance in the United Kingdom is compulsory until the age of 16. However, school attendance in the United States remains fairly high at age 16, whereas in the United Kingdom attendance drops substantially. One explanation for this difference may be found in the certification process. In the United States, the first opportunity for students to receive secondary certification is upon completing high school, usually at age 18. At age 16 in the United Kingdom, students take an examination for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). After receiving this certification, students may continue in the same school, usually for 2 more years (1 year in Scotland), ultimately earning the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced (A') level after passing the examination for that level. This is the standard for entrance to higher education and many types of professional training. Other options for those completing the GCSE include entering the workforce or transferring to either a college of further education providing technical training or a technical college, both of which offer a wide range of vocational and academic courses, both full- and part-time.6 Footnotes 1/ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,The Condition of Education, 1994. 2/ Federal Ministry of Education and Science, Basic and Structural Data: 1992-93 (Bonn: 1992). 3/ The states of the former Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) have retained the dual system described here; the newly formed states of the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) have begun to adopt this system. such as sales and administration, to traditionally blue-collar occupations such as mechanic, machinist, and craftsman.4 4/ Federal Ministry of Education and Science, Report on Vocational Education (Bonn: 1991). 5/ Ibid. 6/ Neville T. Postlethwaite, ed., The Encyclopedia of Comparative Education and National Systems of Education (New York: Pergamon Press, 1988). -###- [Table of Contents] Indicator 3: Secondary Education Enrollment Strategies for preparing youth for employment1 Many countries have formalized strategies to prepare non-college-bound youth for employment. Japan, Germany, and Sweden are some of the countries that employ such strategies, including combining schooling with work experience and on-the-job training, providing students with extensive occupational information in school, and offering job placement assistance. While the methods that these countries adopt to meet the needs of non-college-bound youth may differ, the U.S. General Accounting Office reports that the Japanese, German, and Swedish systems share a common underlying featureeach has a national policy focused on preparing non-college-bound youth for employment. While the United States offers its upper secondary students a wide range of educational opportunities (including academic and vocational courses), it does not have a comprehensive strategy or set of programs to facilitate students' transition from school to work. The school-to-work transition strategies utilized by Japan, Germany, and Sweden are described in the following paragraphs. Japan Japanese youth who wish to enter the labor force after completing secondary school obtain employment almost exclusively through school-based job referral programs. The system is a cooperative effort between employers, schools, and the Public Employment Security Office (PESO) operated by the Ministry of Labor. The process begins with companies determining their manpower needs and preparing a recruitment card for each job to be filled. The card describes the job, the company, and the terms and conditions of employment. PESO reviews the card for compliance with applicable standards, such as wages and benefits, and approved cards are used by the schools as the basis for job referral assistance. Many companies also send representatives to visit the schools and to meet with placement counselorsbut not with the students, since direct communication between a company offering positions and students seeking employment is prohibited. The schools take an active role in the job referral system. They maintain placement offices where students can review employer information and recruitment cards. The schools also have full- and part-time placement counselors who assist students with job preferences and advise them on interview and entrance examination strategies. If two or more students from a school are interested in the same position, school staff will confer and decide on the order in which students will apply and take the company's exam. The schools take an active role in the job-referral sytem. They maintain placement offices where students can review employer information and recruitment cards. The schools have full- and part-time placement counselors who assist students with job preferences and advice them on interview and entrance examination strategies. If two or more students from a school are interested in the same position, school staff will confer and decide on the order in which students will apply and take the company's exam. School staff consider grades and behavioral characteristics important to an employer, such as tardiness and absenteeism, when making such decisions. Those students who are not hired by the first company at which they interview may take entrance examinations in a second or third company. Students who participate in this system have a better chance of getting a job after graduation than those who do not participate. Nonparticipants and those whom the school does not feel comfortable recommending to a company often end up in temporary or low-wage jobs. After graduation, about 55 percent of students go on to higher education institutions, about 40 percent go into the labor market (the majority have participated in the job referral system), and about 5 percent are unemployed. Participants in higher education also receive job referral assistance. PESO is not as significant a factor in placing university graduates, since graduates may also apply to companies directly. However, the traditional pattern of direct employer to university faculty or department contact continues to be dominant where prestigious institutions, companies, and fields are concerned. Students also take company examinations and have interviews, but these basically are rituals to confirm decisions reached earlier about a particular student. Germany In Germany, schools and employers are linked primarily through an upper secondary education system in which students divide their time between school-based instruction and on-the-job training (apprenticeship) in a chosen occupational area. This approach is often referred to as the dual system. Students who participate in this type of education program generally spend 3 years in the dual system after completing compulsory full-time schooling (i.e., age 15 or 18)including 1 to 2 days each week studying vocational and academic subjects and the remainder of the week receiving on-the-job training with employers. The main goal of the apprenticeship system is to develop a high-quality skilled workforce; trainees are typically taught more than they may actually use on a specific job. Apprenticeships are available for over 400 skilled occupations. Approximately two-thirds of all students completing lower secondary education directly pursue training in the dual system and approximately 90 percent do so eventually. A May 1992 report on Germany's dual system released by the Federal Ministry for Education and Science indicates that 6 months after completing training, approximately 60 percent of trainees had received unlimited contracts2 of employment either in the occupation in which they were trained or in another field; 10 percent were unemployed; 17 percent either went into the military or received a limited contract3 of employment (either in the trained occupation or another field); and 13 percent were pursuing additional training. Sweden Sweden's approach to preparing youth for the workplace begins early in a child's education. Swedish students aged 7_15 are required to complete between 6 and 10 weeks of work orientation in school. They receive an educational and vocational orientation in school and visit workplaces to gain knowledge of different fields of employment, working environments, and occupations. Unlike students who participate in Germany's employer-driven apprenticeship system, high school students in Sweden who major in vocational fields receive most of their training in school, spending only 10 percent of the first 2 years of high school at a work site. For those who are enrolled in a 3-year upper secondary vocational education program, work experiences extend to 60 percent of the time in the third year. In addition to emphasizing assistance to students in the transition from school to work, Sweden demonstrates its investment in jobless youth by providing guaranteed training or work for all jobless teenagers. Footnotes 1/ The primary source of information for this sidebar is the U.S. General Accounting Office report, Training Strategies: Preparing Noncollege Youth for Employment in the U.S. and Foreign Countries (Washington, D.C.: 1990). Other sources include P. Cappelli, British Lessons for School-to-Work Transition Policy in the U.S. (Philadelphia: National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce, 1993); The Federal Minister for Education and Science, Vocational Training in the Dual System in the Federal Republic of Germany (Bonn: 1992); U.S. Department of Education, Japanese Education Today (Washington, D.C.: 1987); Central Statistical Office, Regional Trends 28 (Great Britain: Crown, 1993); and Central Statistical Office, Social Trends 22 (Great Britain: Crown, 1992). 2/ Unlimited contracts of employment generally last three to four years, and can be renewed or made permanent if both parties so desite. 3/ Limited contracts can last from 6 weeks to 4 or 5 years. Participants generally go on to permanent jobs. -###- [Table of Contents] http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/eiip/eiipid11.html Indicator 11: Education Attainment The education attainment of a country's population reflects the availability of education in the country and provides an indirect measure of the country's commitment to the skills development of its citizens. Because many working-age adults completed their education years ago, the indicator is influenced by changes over time in the characteristics of an education system. Countries that have undergone major expansions in education only in recent years will still have a large proportion of relatively uneducated adults. Of the G-7 countries for which data were available in 1992, the United States, Canada, and Germany had the highest proportion of adults aged 25-64 having completed at least upper secondary education (roughly equivalent to high school in the United States).* At least 70 percent of U.S., Canadian, and German adults 25-64 years of age had completed at least upper secondary education. Among Italians aged 25-64, 28 percent completed at least upper secondary education. Of the other countries listed in the table, only Czechoslovakian, Norwegian, Swiss, and Swedish adults attained levels of upper secondary education comparable to those of the United States and Germany. Of the G-7 countries, Canada and the United States had, by far, the highest proportion of 25- to 64-year-olds having completed higher education (41 and 31 percent, respectively). Less than 25 percent of the 25- to 64-year-olds in the other G-7 countries and the remaining countries listed in the table (with the exception of Norway) had completed this level. In fact, only 6 percent of 25- to 64-year-olds in Italy completed higher education. *For further explanation of the levels of education, see the sidebar entitled ISCED levels of education Table 11: Percentage of the population 2564 years of age that has completed a specific highest level of education, by country: 1992 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lower secondary Upper Higher Country and below secondary education -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G-7 Canada 29 30 41 France 48 36 16 Germany 18 60 22 Italy 72 22 6 Japan1 30 48 21 United Kingdom 32 49 19 United States 16 53 31 Other Australia2 47 30 23 Austria 32 61 7 Belgium 55 25 20 Czechoslovakia3 27 63 10 Denmark 41 40 19 Finland 39 43 18 Ireland 58 25 17 Netherlands 42 37 21 New Zealand 43 33 24 Norway 21 54 25 Portugal 86 7 7 Spain 77 10 13 Sweden 30 46 24 Switzerland 19 60 21 Turkey 86 9 5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ 1989 data. Row values do not total 100 since 1 percent were classified as "other." 2/ 1993 data. 3/ 1991 data. NOTE: See supplemental note to Indicator 11 for details on indicator calculation for Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. SOURCE: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, International Indicators Project, 1995. Figure 11: Percentage of the population 25-64 years of age that has completed a specific highest level of education, by G-7 country: 1992 1/ Countries are sorted in descending order by the percentage of 25- to 64-year-olds having completed upper secondary, or higher education. SOURCE: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, International Indicators Project, 1995. See Supplemental Notes on Figure and Tables -###- [Indicator 10] [Indicator 12] EDUCATION INDICATORS: An International Perspective Indicator 5: University Enrollment The percentage of students in different age groups (18-21, 22-25, and 26-29) who are enrolled in any type of university or 4-year college (including undergraduate and graduate education) reflects the availability of university education and the extent to which that education provides necessary training for different occupations. A high rate of university enrollment in a country suggests that university education is highly valued and widely available. Enrollment rates may be low in another country, if admission to universities is restricted or if university education is not vital to employment and success in a large number of occupations. Sidebar: Differences in programs offered across education levels In the G-7 countries for which data were available, the United States, Canada, and France had the highest enrollment rates for 18- to 21-year-olds in 1992. Furthermore, the rates in the United States and Canada were higher than all other countries with data available. Even though the former West Germany had the lowest full-time enrollment rate for 18- to 21-year-olds among this set of G-7 countries, it had the highest rate for 22- to 25-year-olds and 26- to 29-year-olds. Table 5: Percentage of young adults enrolled1 in public and private university higher education, by age group and country: 1992 ------------------------------------------------------------ Age ----------------------------- Country 18-21 22-25 26-29 ------------------------------------------------------------ G-72 Canada 23.9 13.9 5.6 France 20.2 11.6 3.8 West Germany (former) 7.4 15.2 9.6 United Kingdom 14.2 4.7 1.8 United States 25.0 12.1 5.4 Other Australia 18.8 6.2 5.4 Austria 13.1 15.4 9.0 Belgium 16.9 7.1 1.5 Denmark 7.8 17.2 8.7 Finland 10.3 16.6 8.7 Greece 15.6 1.6 0.3 Hungary 6.0 5.0 1.6 Netherlands 20.1 15.9 4.8 New Zealand 18.8 7.8 3.6 Norway 8.4 15.3 6.5 Poland 8.1 12.1 - Spain 22.5 14.9 5.4 Sweden 4.3 8.1 3.8 Switzerland 4.8 7.8 4.0 Turkey 7.0 4.9 2.3 -------------------------------------------------------------- -Not available. 1/ Head counts. 2/ No data available for Italy and Japan. NOTE: See supplemental note to Indicator 5 for details on indicator calculation for Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, and Poland and for information on the calculation of enrollment rates. SOURCE: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, International Indicators Project, 1995. Figure 5: Percentage enrolled in university education, by age group and G-7 country:1,2 1992 1/ No data available for Italy and Japan. 2/ Countries are sorted in descending order by the percentage of 18- to 21-year-olds enrolled in university education. SOURCE: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, International Indicators Project, 1995. See Supplemental Notes on Figure and Tables -###- [Indicator 4] [Indicator 6] Rankings by Arthur HU d:\doc\web\97\09\edworld.wk1 Educational Attainment (US and Canada are the highesr higher education in the world) Lower Higher Higher SecondarSecondarEducatioIndex Canada 29 30 41 1.32 United States 16 53 31 1.00 Norway 21 54 25 -1.24 New Zealand 43 33 24 -1.29 Sweden 30 46 24 -1.29 Australia2 47 30 23 -1.35 Germany 18 60 22 -1.41 Japan1 30 48 21 -1.48 Netherlands 42 37 21 -1.48 Switzerland 19 60 21 -1.48 Belgium 55 25 20 -1.55 United Kingdom 32 49 19 -1.63 Denmark 41 40 19 -1.63 Finland 39 43 18 -1.72 Ireland 58 25 17 -1.82 France 48 36 16 -1.94 Spain 77 10 13 -2.38 Czechoslovakia3 27 63 10 -3.10 Austria 32 61 7 -4.43 Portugal 86 7 7 -4.43 Italy 72 22 6 -5.17 Turkey 86 9 5 -6.20 University Enrollment (United States and Canada Lead the World) Age ----------------18-21 Country 18-21 22-25 26-29 Index --------------------------------------------------- G-72 United States 25.0 12.1 5.4 1.00 Canada 23.9 13.9 5.6 -1.05 Spain 22.5 14.9 5.4 -1.11 France 20.2 11.6 3.8 -1.24 Netherlands 20.1 15.9 4.8 -1.24 Australia 18.8 6.2 5.4 -1.33 New Zealand 18.8 7.8 3.6 -1.33 Belgium 16.9 7.1 1.5 -1.48 Greece 15.6 1.6 0.3 -1.60 United Kingdom 14.2 4.7 1.8 -1.76 Austria 13.1 15.4 9.0 -1.91 Finland 10.3 16.6 8.7 -2.43 Norway 8.4 15.3 6.5 -2.98 Poland 8.1 12.1- -3.09 Denmark 7.8 17.2 8.7 -3.21 West Germany (f 7.4 15.2 9.6 -3.38 Turkey 7.0 4.9 2.3 -3.57 Hungary 6.0 5.0 1.6 -4.17 Switzerland 4.8 7.8 4.0 -5.21 Sweden 4.3 8.1 3.8 -5.81