The Vocational Development of Non-College-Bound Youth:

Abstract

Due to inadequate preparation for employment and lack of assistance in making the transition to work, many youth struggle entering the labor market, are unemployed, or flounder in jobs without opportunities for advancement. The school-to-work transition movement, exemplified by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, is designed to address the career development needs of non-college-bound youth. However, despite the fact that counseling psychology has been intimately involved with career development since its inception, attempts to link counseling psychology and the school-to-work movement are almost nonexistent. Given that the school-to-work movement will directly affect the vocational outcomes of potentially 75% or more of youth, it is imperative that counseling psychologists begin to take an active role in the movement. This article attempts to provide an impetus for counseling psychologists to become involved in the school-to-work movement through theory building, research, training, and practice.