Introduction
Introduction
Despite the premium society puts on a college education, four out of five high school graduates do not get a college degree. For millions of young Americans, this can mean a future of dead-end jobs. A movement is growing to create a school-to-work transition system centered around the centuries-old concept of apprenticeship. As early as the 10th grade, students would combine academics with on-the-job training as a way to meet today's growing demand for a literate, “high-performance” work force. The idea is so newa consensus has yet to emerge on how to go about it. But business executives and government officials agree thatthe future of the U.S. work force may depend on somesuch action.