Examines whether Britain's Training and Enterprise Councils are the best way to forge consensus on Modern Apprenticeship. Concludes with the need for a greater role for industry-based organizations and dialog about what training policy should be. (SK)

Reviews the policy context of work experience in Spain. Presents case studies of two innovative work-based learning experiences that illustrate the conditions necessary for successful learning. Supports the importance of integrating work experience into training. (Contains 58 references.) (SK)

In this paper we argue that learning in the workplace can bring considerable benefits for learners and employers. It draws on data from in-depth interviews and secondary sources from eight sites of work-based learning as part of wider research into the effects of five national policy mechanisms within the Learning and Skills Sector. We also have…

This congressional report contains testimony dealing with on-the-job and apprenticeship training programs. More specifically, the testimony focused on the employment problems, educational and training needs, and programs available to assist unemployed as well as underemployed Vietnam era veterans. Included among those agencies and organizations…

A review of three recent publications leads to the conclusion that Britain should (1) adopt the German two-tier system of skilled workers and master workers, a status distinction that can be applied in blue- and white-collar occupations; and (2) train workers through apprenticeships. (SK)

Post-Fordist notions of people as the most important organizational resource are congruent with teacher professionalism. However, government vocational education policies are dominated by technical rationalism, which treats teachers as technicians to be controlled. (SK)

This document provides background information on and recommendations for the development of a comprehensive strategy for improving job-related learning in the United States. An introduction discusses the relationship among human resource development, the earnings of individuals, and the productivity of institutions. A summary of the major…

Examines the social, economic, political, and philosophical influences on the development of Key Skills in Britain, particularly the work of R. H. Tawney. Describes their evolution into the current set (communication, number application, information technology, working with others, improving one's own learning and performance, problem solving) and…

In the early 1990s, the focus of U.S. educational reform shifted toward training and the connection between education and economic competitiveness. A new systemic approach to vocational education was sought. Numerous barriers prevented school-to-work from becoming a large-scale reform system; more flexible solutions may be needed. (SK)

The pessimistic conclusions of studies of vocational education/training conducted within a framework of reproduction theory contrast with the policy literature's faith in the promise of a high trust/high skill society. The transformation of society and social relations is unlikely to occur in a capitalist system. (SK)

This publication is part of a toolkit that examines systemic barriers to achieving economic self-sufficiency for court-involved adolescents. It introduces the issue of workforce and youth development for juvenile offenders, discussing exemplary programs and policy initiatives that help court-involved youth become economically self-sufficient. To…

Examines British policy for work-based learning in areas: (1) pre-1994 implementation of a national framework of qualifications; (2) the review of National Vocational Qualifications by Dearing and Beaumont; and (3) debate over work-based learning policy in the election campaign of 1996-97. (SK)

A four-year study examined the nature and policy implications of school and employer practices to help youth prepare for employment. Data for the study were compiled from a telephone survey of 3,500 employers; a mail survey of 750 employers from across the country; 493 employers, 71 teachers, and 1,565 students from 5 major U.S. cities who…

This review attempts to consider all publicly available studies that examine employment outcomes for people who have left welfare. Only studies that describe their methodology clearly and report survey response rates of 50% or higher are included, for a total of 11 studies reviewed. These studies cover various geographic areas, labor market…

Research on the reversibility of early cognitive deficits and on the remediation of poor school achievement suggests that an expanded national investment in developing cognitive competence of adolescents and young adults is warranted. Public policies should encourage programs that provide basic academic skills rather than trade skills alone.…