Career Schools Get Boost From Bloomberg

Mayor Bloomberg is endorsing a plan to raise the profile of career training programs in the city schools.

The plan is outlined in a report by a mayoral task force on career education released yesterday. The task force was co-chaired by the Mayor Dinkins and the chairman of New York Life, Sy Sternberg.

Career schools are updated versions of vocational schools that educate students in specific skills — offering hands-on experience as well as internships — but also try to prepare them for college.

Proponents say they do a better job than traditional high schools at motivating students to do well in school by giving them concrete reasons to succeed.

The city already has 21 full-time career-tracked schools, but the task force report argues that the schools are limited by the city's Department of Education's "red tape."

The recommendations endorsed by Mr. Bloomberg yesterday would allow career schools to build their own graduation requirements and would make it easier for industries such as health care, finance, and tourism to work with the schools. The task force also suggests building more career "awareness" into middle schools.

The changes would be tested at about five model career schools to be opened in the fall of 2009.