Some 180 experts from 10 European countries met at the University of Trier (Germany) to exchange information about youth assistance projects and hear views about the extent of unemployment among disadvantaged youth and development of innovative solutions. "The Failure of Young People to Cope with Life When Unemployed" (Bohnisch) showed…

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training's (CEDEFOP) activities and research relating to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have focused on three areas of action: (1) development of training for SMEs; (2) information on the training provision available in the member states; and (3) promotion of the exchange and…

A "travelling" congress was conducted in five European cities (Berlin, Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, and Vienna) to promote a mutual exchange of views between east and west. The participants stressed the growing European Community interest in current examples of cooperation with neighbors in central and eastern Europe. In addition to…

Data on flexibility in German companies were compiled through interviews and followed up annually. Employment trends in western Germany indicated a historic peak of 29.5 million employed in 1992 followed by a steady decline of about 1 million to 28.5 million in 1995. Employment losses continued in 1996; 1997 showed some signs of stability.…

The ninth meeting of CEDEFOP (French acronym for the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) is summarized in this report. Attending the forum were representatives of the leading vocational training research and development institutions and ministerial departments from the European Community (EC) Member States and from…

The German education system is the responsibility of the 16 federal states. The federal government plays the leading role in regularizing the on-the-job section of occupational training in the dual system. Other forms of occupational training are full-time vocational schools and further full-time vocational training schools. The on-the-job part of…

This brief examines trends in the retail trade, especially in grocery stores, from an international perspective. A comparison of recent national studies finds the following: (1) significant differences in structure and organization exist, especially in the role of traditional small shops versus large chain grocery stores; (2) increasing store size…

The further education of adults in Germany has its roots in the 19th century. In a unified Germany, further education and training enjoy a key position in the establishment of free market economy structures. Further education enjoys equal status with all other educational sectors. It is distinguished by the plurality of organizing bodies and…

This issue focuses on the various forms that secondary technical and vocational education takes in different European Community Member States. "The Future for Skilled Workers" is an interview with Burkart Lutz, a German researcher. Other articles are as follows: "Contradictions in Technical and Vocational Education: The…

A 1993 study compared trends in the structure of qualifications for occupations related to the installation, management, and maintenance of computer networks in Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Staff involved in networks required specialized new skills related to feasibility and design, installation,…

In both France and Germany, the government, employers' organizations, and unions all participate in defining vocational diplomas based on a national framework of procedures of elaborating and standardizing titles. Important differences between the diploma definition processes in France and Germany may be identified. In Germany, the issue is…

Social market economy success in the Federal Republic of Germany is due to free competition, enterprise in the business community, and employees' social security. Craft industries play a major role in Germany's market economy. The craft industry is second only to the manufacturing industry, comprising 23 percent of German firms. There are seven…