Businesses in South Dakota were surveyed to gauge employers' perceptions of vocational education, to determine the extent of private sector interaction with vocational education, and to document employers' experiences with vocationally trained and nonvocationally trained employees. The statistically valid random sample consisted of 347 small…

This report documents findings of a survey of attitudes of business toward vocational education in South Dakota. Chapter I discusses the purpose of the study. Chapter II describes the procedures followed in collecting data from employers. It documents all steps from questionnaire design to data entering and concludes with a presentation of…

Employers examine grades, postsecondary school attendance, cooperative education participation, and work experience characteristics in assessing job applicants entering the full-time labor market. Thus, student decisions that affect achievement or work experience will affect future job search success. (CH)

The relative costs and benefits of workplace literacy training were analyzed. An analysis based on eight benefits/costs (training costs; higher productivity; high wages; nonwage compensation; less worker turnover; safer workplace; higher taxes; and improved self-esteem) established that workplace literacy training offers net benefits for workers,…

A study was conducted to collect and examine information on the nature and extent of business and postsecondary occupational program linkages. Data were gathered through a telephone survey of 76 administrators of postsecondary institutions that had both high and low linkages to private industry, and of 661 employers, half of whom were currently…

A project collected data from small and medium-sized firms (employing fewer than 500) in Michigan concerning workplace education programs. It addressed why firms were or were not offering programs, program characteristics, and program impacts on firms and employees. Case studies of 28 businesses were undertaken from May 1991-July 1992 and a…

A study examined the effect of the Targeted Jobs Tax Credit (TJTC) on a variety of employer- and employment-related outcomes. Data were collected from two databases and a set of case studies. Although most employers report having heard of TJTC, only a small number of firms were actually participating in the program. TJTC did not appear to change…

A study examined the effects of the Targeted Jobs Tax Credit (TJTC) on employment patterns among those eligible for and those ineligible for TJTC. The rate at which TJTC-eligible persons penetrated the labor market and the resultant displacement of persons not eligible were examined in terms of TJTC-related variables, personal characteristics, and…

School-to-work initiatives are becoming increasingly common as more states and the federal government launch programs to remedy the awkward transition of youth from high school into careers and to reform public education, especially for at-risk youth. The school-to-work programs that have been established across the country do not follow any one…

A study identified workplace know-how skills and characteristics that employers in Kalamazoo and St. Joseph counties in Michigan feel workers need to succeed and be productive. Employer input was obtained in fall 1993 at 12 focus group meetings during which a total of 103 of 192 invited local employers (a 53.6% attendance rate) completed…

This study was conducted to describe and to analyze how employers respond to information presented to them on application forms and interviews when they make hiring decisions for entry-level jobs. The approach of the study was to observe the responses of 56 employers in the Columbus, Ohio, area to simulated hiring settings concerning youthful…

This study was conducted to describe and to analyze how employers respond to information presented to them on application forms and in interviews when they make hiring decisions for entry-level jobs. The approach of the study was to observe the responses of 56 employers in the Columbus, Ohio, area to simulated hiring settings concerning youthful…

A study analyzed the explicit and implicit behavior of employers in their assessment of young job applicants for entry-level clerical, retail trade, and machine trade jobs. In order to determine the influence of applicants' education and skills on employability assessments made by employers, the researchers analyzed data from almost 600 mail…

A study analyzed the explicit and implicit behavior of employers in their assessment of young job applicants for entry-level clerical, retail trade, and machine trade jobs. In order to determine the influence of applicants' education and skills on employability assessments made by employers, the researchers analyzed almost 600 mail questionnaires…

The career and technical education (CTE) provided in grades K-12 in the county's vocational-technical center and 12 local public school districts of Lenawee County, Michigan, was benchmarked with respect to its attention to career development. Data were collected from the following sources: structured interviews with a number of key respondents…