Here we examine New Labour's education policy concerning social justice and the organisation of educational provision with reference to social capital as policy vocabulary. The central focus is on policy discourses and practices in relation to networking between schools and other partners. We identify three policy phases for reducing inequalities…

This paper, directed to teachers and students of educational economics, presents the results of a study of the rate of return on undergraduate education at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom, and compares these results with returns calculated independently for the U.K. university system as a whole. (Author/DN)

This article addresses the challenges that Garnett suggests face higher education through the lens of Bourdieu. In taking up the challenge set by Garnett for higher education in the knowledge economy and responding to its powerful and primary artefact--intellectual capital--the article reviews and uses the analytical tool of Bourdieu's practice in…

Recent studies have explored whether employers use educational qualifications as screening device, rather than as measure of acquired human capital. One method for testing a strong version of the screening hypothesis was suggested by Psacharopoulos and applied to British data, with negative conclusions. This paper applies the same "P"…

Lifelong learning has been a key theme of New Labour's education policy agenda since 1997, but is a broad and often amorphous concept. This article analyzes New Labour's ideological perspective in this context, outlines the main developments and difficulties, and evaluates the record over the seven years in office. New Labour's policy on lifelong…

This article focuses on the relationship between credentials and the occupational structure, drawing on quantitative research data from a study of UK graduates with first-class honours degrees. Within a knowledge-driven economy, in the UK it is commonly assumed that university graduates with the highest credentials will receive the best employment…

Undergraduate applications to civil engineering courses have been declining at an alarming rate despite the industry's healthy economic activity. Concerns abound as to the long-term impact of this decline as the sector is already suffering skills shortages across virtually all of its occupations. This paper investigates the likely future trends in…

Public-private partnerships in education exist in various forms around the world, in both developed and developing countries. Despite this, and despite the importance of human capital for economic growth, systematic analysis has been limited and scattered, with most scholarly attention going to initiatives in the United States. This volume helps…

This article examines the dominant view of the changing relationship between education, jobs and rewards in the global knowledge economy. This asserts that the developed economies can resolve issues of individual aspirations, economic efficiency and social justice through the creation of a high-skills, high-wage "magnet" economy. Here…

Data from 457 British workers (75% response) supported the need for gender-specific models of career success. Women's achievements were influenced chiefly by merit, lack of domestic responsibilities, and favorable organizational and opportunity structures; men's were influenced by personality and societal opportunity structure. (SK)

The relationship of a mentor's perceptions of his/her career success, mentoring he/she received, personality, and the amount of mentoring he/she provided was investigated in a sample of 176 administrators. Results indicated that the amount of mentoring respondents reported they had provided was positively associated with their objective and their…

Demonstrates that popular assertions regarding the social benefits of additional higher education are dubious. Reveals four decisive factors: presumed economic growth; changes in graduates' and nongraduates' relative earnings; differences between the marginal and average student; and belief in scale economies. Unless economic growth favors…

This study addresses issues related to international strategies of lifelong education. The case of the United Kingdom is used to explore the degree to which approaches based on human-capital strategies can contribute to resolving inequalities. It is argued that claims made for the role of education as a means of protecting individual and national…

Using 1990 US census data, examines the relationship between overeducation and earnings focusing on individuals with postcollege schooling. Finds that being overeducated increases the wages of men working at a job requiring a bachelor's degree. Compares results with findings in Canada and the United Kingdom. Suggests that overeducation contributes…

A study of human resource practices in 18 automobile factories in the United States and Britain showed that manufacturing innovations are placing greater demands on line managers and workers. Training is being refocused to develop their interpersonal, team, and leadership skills. However, lack of time and suitable training facilities are barriers.…