지식기반사회가 본격적으로 전개되면서 직업의 구조와 특징이 산업사회와는 전혀 다르게 변화되고 있고, 교육과 일의 관계 또한 산업사회와는 다르게 새로운 구조적 의미의 변화를 가져오고 있다. 그럼에도 불구하고 현재 우리나라의 대학교육은 지식기반사회에 적합한 지식노동자를 양성하는 체제로 전환하지 못하고 아직도 전통적 노동자를 양성하는 체제에 머무르고 있다. 이로 인해 청년층의 실업은 물론, 기업의 대학교육 만족도는 계속적으로 하락하고 있고, 심지어 산업현장에서 원하는 인력 양성 측면에서 대학교육의 질적 문제까지 제기되고 있는 상황이다. 이에 따라 학교에서 직업세계로의 원활한 이행을 위해 학교와 노동시장의 연계 방안을 다각적인 측면에서 모색하고 있는 상황이다. 이러한 상황은 비단 우리나라만의 문제가 아니라 많은 나라에서도 사회적국가적 문제로 대두되고 있고, 전 세계적으로 대학교육과 노동시장과의 연계를 강화하기 위해 학교기반학습 못지않게 현장기반학습이 강화되고 있으며, 특히 학교기반학습과 현장기반학습의 연계 강화를 매우 중요시 여기고 있는 추세이다. 본고는 이러한 문제의식을 토대로 청년층의 실업과 이에 따른 대학교육의 변화, 또한 대학과 노동시장의 연계 방안이 될 수 있는 현장기반학습에 대해 탐색하고 그 시사점을 논의하였다.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the unemployment of young adults and the change of higher education, which is caused by the coming of knowledge-based society, and to find some implication for successful implement of work-based learning as a school-to-work transition program. Increasingly, the demands and changes in modern workplaces require workers who are highly skilled and independent thinkers. In order to meet these challenges, educators must prepare students who are technically knowledgeable and have the social skills needed to function in these types of workplaces. By implementing school-to-work transition programs, such as work-based learning, students are provided an opportunity to function as workers to discover and acquire the necessary technical and social skills. Work-based learning has been shown to improve students' self-esteem, to teach and reinforce basic academic and technical skills, to promote an understanding of workplace culture and expectations, and to develop a network for future job searches. Especially, Youth apprenticeship programs integrate school and work-based learning by placing students in authentic work environments as part of their total educational experience. In actual work sites, students are encouraged to process what has been learned and make connections between previous and new learning experiences.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the unemployment of young adults and the change of higher education, which is caused by the coming of knowledge-based society, and to find some implication for successful implement of work-based learning as a school-to-work transition program. Increasingly, the demands and changes in modern workplaces require workers who are highly skilled and independent thinkers. In order to meet these challenges, educators must prepare students who are technically knowledgeable and have the social skills needed to function in these types of workplaces. By implementing school-to-work transition programs, such as work-based learning, students are provided an opportunity to function as workers to discover and acquire the necessary technical and social skills. Work-based learning has been shown to improve students' self-esteem, to teach and reinforce basic academic and technical skills, to promote an understanding of workplace culture and expectations, and to develop a network for future job searches. Especially, Youth apprenticeship programs integrate school and work-based learning by placing students in authentic work environments as part of their total educational experience. In actual work sites, students are encouraged to process what has been learned and make connections between previous and new learning experiences.

work-based learning, school-to-work transition, occupational skills, tacit knowledge, youth apprenticeship