Education for Employment is a unique and specialized career-focused course that does not have its own program alignment with National Standards, as does Family and Consumer Sciences courses and other CTE curriculum disciplines. The Education for Employment course outline, framework, standards, and course competencies do however align exactly to the National Career Development Standards, which include the following six standards quoted verbatim:

1.  Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and skills to contribute to effective learning in school and across the life span.

2.  Students will complete school with the academic preparation that is essential to choose from a wide variety of substantial post secondary options, including college.

3.  Students will understand the relationship of academics to the world of work, and to life at home and the community.

4.  Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relations to the knowledge of self and to make informed decisions.

5.  Students will employ strategies to achieve future career success and satisfaction.

6.  Students will understand the relationship between personal qualities, education and training, and the world of work.

After further research into the National Standards of various educational programs for students, the conclusion drawn is that Education for Employment closely aligns itself with the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) National Standards for Students and the National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS). Please reference the following web sites for additional information based on the explanation that follows:   http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/NationalStandards.pdf and http://www.aafcs.org/FCSstandards/. 

The ASCA's vision is a very simple one that mirrors the mission of Education for Employment--"to prepare today's students to be tomorrow's adults."  In order to accomplish this, counselors as well as  EFE educators must help students understand that the decisions they make today will affect their future educational and career options.  ASCA National Standards for Career Development (C:A1-C:C2) and Personal/Social Development (PS:A1-PS:B1) most closely align with the Education for Employment course.  Under the Career Development category, there are three Standards stated below that align exactly to the Education for Employment course framework and competencies: 

"Standard A:  Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions", which comprises career awareness and employment readiness competencies.

"Standard B:  Students will employ strategies to achieve career goals with success and satisfaction."  In this Standard, students are expected to be able to acquire career information and identify personal career goals through research. Utilizing the most current resources would enable students to make decisions regarding career paths, appropriate class selections, career planning, and post-secondary transitions into the world. 

"Standard C:  Students will understand the relationship between personal qualities, education, training and the world of work."  This Standard emphasizes the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary in today's workplace to achieve career goals. 

The ASCA National Standards for Personal and Social Development provide a foundation for students' growth much the same as the workplace readiness skills with emphasis on acquiring self-knowledge, developing interpersonal relationship building skills, and using the decision-making and problem-solving model in life and the workplace to achieve career goals. 

In analyzing the connection of Education for Employment to the National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences, the closest alignment is to Area of Study 1.0: Career, Community and Life Connections. The Comprehensive Standard under this category is to "integrate multiple life roles and responsibilities in family, work, and community settings."  The specific Content Standards 1.1 and 1.3 emphasize managing multiple roles and responsibilities (individual, family, career, community, and global) and evaluating the reciprocal effects of participation in community activities.  These standards along with their accompanying competencies mirror the goals and objectives for Education for Employment stated in an earlier criteria.  The ability to balance personal time, family, work, and community involvement creates a well-rounded person and productive citizen. Content Standard 1.2 refers to demonstrating employability skills in school, community, and work settings. Learning employability skills in the simulated Education for Employment classroom environment and transferring these skills to  workplace settings is "real life learning" made possible through the cooperative education internships. 

Further investigation of the National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences, finds Education for Employment strands threaded throughout Area Study 2.0: Consumer and Family Resources in the management related to human, economic, and environmental resources.  Content Standard 2.1 and the accompanying competencies are specific to the independent living unit in the EFE course syllabus.  Area of Study 13.0: Interpersonal Relationships standards emphasize the workplace readiness skills including respect, communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, leadership skills, and critical thinking that guides personal, family, and workplace behaviors.

Many of the Education for Employment students are concurrently enrolled in cooperative education internships in consumer services and the foods industry. These internships align with the Family and Consumer Sciences National Standards Areas of Study 3.0: Consumer Services and Area of Study 8.0: Food Production and Services. Factors that would determine the number of performance indicators mastered by the individual students would vary based on the length of employment in this career path, number of internship hours completed, and cross-training on the job site.