As the food industry becomes globally connected, it is essential to provide Food Science students with experience working in virtual teams before they enter the workforce. Working in teams virtually brings extra challenges due to a lack of face-to-face interactions. FSHN 230, Professional Issues in Food Science (asynchronously online), allowed…

Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) and Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth (VIT-TAY) demonstrated initial effectiveness at increasing employment among transition-age youth with disabilities engaged in pre-employment transition services. We characterized activities and estimated the labor and non-labor costs required to…

Paraprofessionals play a significant role in the education system. However, they often need more training on specific instructional strategies to use with the students they work with. In this study, we trained two paraprofessionals working in a self-contained U.S. elementary classroom for students with high-intensity behavioral support needs. Each…

In a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT), "Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth" (VIT-TAY) enhanced employment for autistic youth receiving transition services. For this study, a nonrandomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial evaluated whether VIT-TAY maintained its core implementation and effectiveness…

Purpose/Objectives: This study investigated the use of electronic and paper-based point-of-service (POS) systems in school nutrition programs (SNPs), including associated challenges and the desired skills and existing training practices for personnel handling such systems. Methods: A questionnaire was developed based on interviews with 25 SNP…

This study examined technical and nontechnical employee attitudes toward participation in training. A survey was administered to 337 self-identified technical and nontechnical university employees. Our findings are as follows: (a) most employees prefer training that is less than 2 hours in length, (b) employees do not want training outside their…

To provide quality vocational education, rural schools must solve five problems that confront all secondary providers: (1) dealing with technological change, (2) cooperating within districts, (3) addressing market demands, (4) conserving resources, and (5) expanding employer input. Solutions include collaboration and special approaches to distance…

This author, superintendent of Winnetka Public Schools (a K-8 district in the northern suburbs of Chicago), shares a board president's perspective that may help shed some light on one of the superintendent's most challenging jobs: successfully working with a board of education. Why is it so challenging? Certainly because in the current culture of…

The authors describe an Illinois program that provides grants to help business teachers update their knowledge and skills by interning in a private sector organization. Information on teacher selection is provided, as are descriptions of the actual experiences of five teachers. (CH)

Driven by studies showing that Millennials (ages 18-24) have adopted IM (instant messaging) as a standard communications medium, many libraries are reaching out to their own patrons in this way. At the same time, some of these libraries have invested thousands of dollars in vendor-based chat reference solutions that provide duplicate…

The authors describe the state-sponsored Illinois Vocational Instructor Practicum. This program provides financial support for teachers to spend up to eight weeks in a private sector position, allowing them to update their work when they return to the vocational education classroom. (CH)

Describes Illinois community colleges' involvement in economic development through a network of business centers operated by all of the state's 39 districts. Looks at the programs and services offered by the colleges in areas such as customized job training, training for small businesses, contract procurement assistance, and Job Training…

The author describes how vocational educators, with the support of the federal government, have adapted a highly successful job-training program to meet the specific high technology training needs of Illinois firms. The importance of education/business cooperation and of the federal government's role are stressed. (CT)

Discusses community colleges and welfare-to-work programs from a rural perspective, specifically in Illinois. Examines the barriers to rural welfare recipients in terms of job placement, benefits of collaborative efforts, and importance of education and training. (Contains 11 references.) (AUTH/NB)

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library participated in the statewide conversion to a new integrated library system in the summer of 2002. Prior to the system's implementation, various local and statewide committees coordinated efforts to train their staffs so as to ensure a seamless transition. This case study analyzes, in…