While the literature in skill formation systems has paid considerable attention to inter-variation between types of national skill formation systems and intra-variation among individual types as in the case of collective skill formation systems, less is known about the role of the European Union in establishing a European model of skill formation.…

Purpose: Apprenticeships are now usually seen as a model of education focused on occupational preparation, albeit manifested in different ways across nation states. However, throughout human history, the majority of occupational preparation has been premised upon apprenticeship as a mode of learning. That is, a preparation arising mainly through…

Apprentices with a learning disability can face significant barriers to completing their training. This paper explores what these apprentices, their lecturers and disability support staff see as the most effective strategies for helping them to overcome these difficulties. Instructional approaches which accommodate students' learning styles,…

A literature review indicates that policymakers have forged an apparent consensus on skill training among business, labor and individuals, with the presumption of mutual benefit. However, reforms have shifted control over and benefits from training to private capital, lessening the value of skill development for individuals' bargaining power in…

Analysis of data from electrical and associated occupations in the Australian state of Victoria shows the following: (1) a decline in numbers of apprentices; (2) numbers of women and other disadvantaged groups not increasing in apprenticeships; and (3) skill shortages on the supply side that will be exacerbated at both ends of the age spectrum if…

A core component of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, work-based learning refers to programs that provide students with exposure to or actual experiences in workplaces. Typical work-based learning programs include youth apprenticeship, internship, job shadowing, cooperative education, and mentoring. This document contains reprints of seven…

In preparation for a conference held in Paris, France, in November 1994, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development launched a 5-year program that involved 20 countries studying the changing role of vocational and technical education and training (VOTEC). A synthesis of national studies on young people's pathways and participation…

Two studies tested the feasibility of a national school-to-work transition venture. One study involved focus groups of employers in eight cities to identify incentives encouraging employers to take part in youth work-based learning programs. The second involved a telephone survey of employers in seven cities who had participated in local…

Material relating to technical and vocational education in Ontario and Canada is either difficult to locate or simply not available. A short series of generalizations can be supported by the limited number of papers available and by American studies located by a relatively cursory search of the ERIC database. The absence of adequate, current…

The importance of a skilled and highly educated workforce to economic well-being is widely recognized, and the relationship between skills and income is becoming stronger over time. Largely as a result of growing demand for skilled workers, state-level training programs are becoming increasingly important as complements to federal programs.…

This literature review focuses on the school-to-work transition, especially as it relates to school reform. The dual focus of the review highlights issues surfacing from research and evaluation of theory and practice in the field, as well as review and evaluation of programs that fall under three types of school-to-work transition reform…

A party of vocational educators from the United Kingdom (UK) traveled to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to examine West German education and training for the hairdressing industry. During their study, the British educators examined the training with respect to entry into further education, industry, and school; vocational preparation;…

Leading-edge firms (LEFs)--at the forefront of their industry in terms of growth or market share--may influence skill development through diffusion of technology, products, or practices and use of market power to set standards or change customer businesses. Study of LEFs can identify the type and mix of skills needed in the industry. LEFs are…

This publication provides a synopsis of the issues, as identified in recent research reports, relating to non-completion of New Apprenticeships and Traineeships in Australia. Some of the key findings of the research reports are the following: (1) during the mid-1990s, non-completion rates were approximately 45 percent for trainees and between…

This report describes the background and links among education, training, labor market, economy, and society. Part 1 deals with the statutory, institutional, and political background to vocational education and training (VET), steering of VET systems, funding, and performance of VET systems and the European context. Part 2 discusses research on…