Much of the education world is obsessed these days (and rightly so) with preparing students for the world of work. That is certainly the case within the subculture of , but a growing number of policymakers and advocates are expressing an interest in making sure that all students, even those heading straight to college after high school, develop the real-world “durable skills” that their future employers will demand.
The impulse is great. But as with so many other skills that we hope our young people will develop, we quickly assume that what’s needed is some new school-based program or course or curriculum. What if, instead, the way to teach work skills is to encourage teenagers to, you know, work?
There’s a growing interest in work-based learning, such as apprenticeships and internships during high schoolers’ junior and senior years. But there’s also a recognition that placing lots of students in such opportunities is nigh impossible, given transportation and liability challenges, not to mention that a lot of workplaces don’t know what to do with sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds.
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