The first of these principles is the need for strong and innovative instructional programs that integrate academic and vocational learning. These curricula must be geared to achieving competence in skills rather than memorizing information, and they must use instructional techniques designed to help a wide range of students succeed. Lessons must apply academic skills to real-world problems in a way that engages students, shows them the value of academic learning, and increases their familiarity with the world of work. In order to develop such curricula, teachers need paid time to familiarize themselves with workplaces and develop relevant lesson plans. High Quality Work-Based Learning .
Students also require effective instruction at the workplace.
MDRC's study yielded no easy answers to the employer recruitment challenge, but Pauly did mention several useful strategies. One is to use business leaders to recruit their peers and to rely also on intermediary organizations respected by the business community. Another is to involve employers early in the planning process in order to maximize their commitment and assure that the program meets their needs. Schools and employers should agree formally on the goals of instruction and how to achieve them, and they should agree to written learning plans for all students. Students should be exposed to a range of different jobs, and they should develop broad, transferable skills rather than preparing for any single job.