The Rock Valley College Career Advancement Program.

The Career Advancement Program (CAP) is a joint effort by a 2-year college and industrial firms in its district to expand educational opportunities, to match college programs to local needs, and to help industry meet its present and future technical manpower needs. CAP has worked to attract students, full- or part-time, to technical training. Mechanical Technology and Electronics Advisory Committees set up a work-study program, with industry taking the lead in recruitment and in-plant training. Students are told of the program through the news media and by visits of both college and industry personnel to the high schools. So far, 36 companies have participated, with requests for 186 student-employees; 76 students enrolled in the first CAP group. This paper lists the program's advantages; career advancement, income while studying, continued education, community enthusiasm, etc. It also points out four main problems and their solutions: (1) the need for good communication between college and company is solved by dealing with a single liaison man at each firm; (2) if a student seeks an unsuitable job, the company puts him in touch with the college for redirection to suitable work or to CAP; (3) high school students are often deficient in mathematics; CAP therefore has its own special counselor; (4) coordination of class and in-plant training schedules is complex, but it can be accomplished by cooperation between company and college personnel. Guidelines and other details of the program are appended. (HH)