Article Abstract:
The history of youth apprenticeship goes back to the time of ancient Babylon, Egypt and Greece, when young people signed with master craftsmen to acquire skills that enabled them to practice a chosen trade. The European Middle Ages institutionalized apprenticeships as craft guilds. In the 19th century, apprenticeships became a recruitment tool for America's nascent labor unions. The assembly-line system of the early 1900s created a demand for low-level skills, making long apprenticeships less attractive. The 1930s New Deal launched federal registered-apprenticeship programs. In the 1990s, youth apprenticeships could be adopted to improve the quality of the US workforce.
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Article Abstract:
Proponents of the nationwide adoption of youth apprenticeship are concerned whether or not they will have a significant impact. There are currently less than 2,000 youth apprentices nationwide. One of the major obstacles is the lack of a social contract that would impel employers to support the program. Another major obstacle is that apprenticeship could remain as a limited option, as its nature entitles only mature and responsible youth to participate. Still another major obstacle is that some people regard vocational tracking as an impingement on their right to social mobility.
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Article Abstract:
The history of college attendance by Americans beginning with the post-World War II college boom is presented. College enrollment grew from 1.5 million in 1939 to 3.6 million in 1959. State and federal government legislation in the 1960s and 1970s made college education more accessible to a larger number of students. The impact of tight economic conditions beginning in the late 1980s on college tuition fees and their effect on student enrolment are discussed.
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