Matchmaker

In recent weeks, a number of students at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Fla., have volunteered to gather their school records, compile their work histories, and take a specially prepared test of work-related skills. The resulting dossiers will be fed into a computer system--and then, it is hoped, catch the eye of local employers seeking a better way to match available skills with available jobs.

Now in its second year, the program is the first pilot test for a national initiative known as Worklink, brainchild of the Educational Testing Service, the same company that offers the SAT. Although the recession put a damper on the first year of the project, its backers say the rationale behind Worklink remains sound: to motivate students to work harder in school, while providing a mechanism for employers to hire well-qualified entrylevel workers.

Thus far, however, most students at Hillsborough High appear to be taking a wait-and-see attitude. Sylvia Lufriu, an occupational-assessment specialist at the school, says that, despite students' strong interest in Worklink, roughly the same number of students at her school signed up this year as last, when 53 entered the program. Why so few? "It's something new, and there's a test involved,'' says Lufriu. "Whenever there's a test involved, kids don't jump into it until...