Achieving Scale and Quality in School-to-Work Internships: Findings From Two Employer Surveys

Abstract

Work-based learning is a central component of the school-to-work strategy. Yet, a widespread system of work-based learning in the form of internships or apprenticeships will need to involve thousands of employers willing to provide placements. This paper examines the issue of employer involvement in the school-to-work strategy through a survey of employers participating in five school-to-work programs and a survey of a comparison group of nonparticipating employers in those same labor markets. The motivations and potential motivations of employers are identified; the data suggest that participants are motivated by philanthropy, while firms in the nonparticipating sample indicate that they would need more bottom-line-oriented arguments to convince them to join up. We also explore the quality of work-based learning placements provided to try to identify the relationship between the characteristics and motivations of employers and the quality of the internships that they provide.