Serving Urban Youth with Special Needs in Vocational Education: Issues and Strategies for Change. TASPP Bulletin.

Vocational educators and special needs personnel face many challenges as they address the educational needs of urban youtP and update vocational p ograms in large inner city school districts. Vocational education programs must take a holistic approach to meet the needs of a wide range of disadvantaged students. Demographic projections of increased proportions of nonwhite students in urban areas underscore the need for personnel who can serve culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Because as many as 40% of minority students live in poverty, the risk factors associated with persistent poverty must also be taken into account. Predictions that the majority of new entrants to the work force will be females, nonwhites, and immigrants mean that sex and race stereotyping in program placement and training opportunities must be overcome. Pressures for higher skill levels among "orkers also make postsecondary training imperative. To meet the challenges posed by demographic and work force trends, it is recommended that vocational programs implement early intervention to ensure equal access of urban special needs students, beginning at the middle school. Flexible instructional programming and support services are needed to provide alternatives for diverse studcnt groups. Interagency planning and comprehensive service coordination are needed to help disadvantaged individuals throughout each stdge of transition from school to work. Multipi:N or second-chanca opportunities for education, training, and employment help ensure that special needs students participate in training opportunities and succeed in the workplace. (28 references).