This two-part report describes a study conducted to investigate the relationship between the community college and its economic environment. Section I provides an introduction to the debate on community college mission, outlines the theoretical framework of the study, reviews the characteristics of the community colleges' economic environment, and…

This document responds to the need for integration of basic skills into vocational education by providing a summary of research findings, implications, and practical suggestions for teachers. The six sections and four complementary posters are intended as tools for staff development of teachers engaged in teaching basic skills. Sections can also…

A study was conducted to review and synthesize the research literature dealing with attitudes toward handicapped persons in educational settings. The aim was to identify the conditions existing in vocational education which lessen receptivity on the part of teachers, counselors, and local administrators toward handicapped students entering…

This document contains four papers (and an introduction by William Wilhelm) on teaching "soft" skills in business education programs. "The Skill Building Challenge: Preparing a Bridge for the Workforce Skills Gap" (Sheila M. Smith) examines the following topics: the workforce skills gap; the importance of academic and…

Factors affecting companies' readiness to implement workplace training were identified through a survey completed by 50 selected partner companies of the 44 National Workplace Literacy grantees during 1995-1996. Selection of the business partners to whom the survey was administered was left to the grantees' discretion. A 25-item questionnaire…

More than 90 surveys conducted during the past 40 years covering a variety of disabling conditions and employers' concerns regarding workers with these conditions were reviewed. The goal of this review is to identify, develop, test, and disseminate interventions for rehabilitation practitioners to use in job development and placement. The review…

A survey of over 3,800 employers found that school-provided vocational training was required for 9.5 percent of the jobs studied and "important but not required" for another 37.9 percent. In this study, new employees with relevant vocational education exhibited these characteristics: (1) were 6.5 percent more productive 6 to 36 months after being…

For this joint effort among three Cabinet Agencies, studies by a variety of organizations were reviewed and 134 business leaders and 34 education leaders in many communities throughout the United States were interviewed to determine what businesses find lacking among new entrants into the labor force and what employers' work force needs will be in…

The literature on diversity in the work force was reviewed to determine the complexity and breadth of workplace diversity issue and identify trends in diversity management and training. The literature review focused on the following: definition of diversity; changing society and work force; reasons organizations are managing and valuing diversity;…

Technology is having a definite impact on the workplace. Although workers in the fields of health care, administration, manufacturing, and electronics are all expected to exhibit industry-specific competencies, they must also master a similar set of technology-related competencies. This is especially true with respect to using technology to…

The impact of generic competencies on workplace performance was examined through a review of literature and evaluation research which focused on conceptualization and piloting of the following key competencies in Australia in 1993-1998: collecting, analyzing, and organizing information; communicating ideas and information; planning and organizing…

This publication summarizes the proceedings of the Conference of Union Officials on Issues Related to Labor-Management Cooperation in Quality of Worklife (QWL) Improvement Efforts (March 1979) and subsequently treats issues that emerged in more detail. Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to QWL. A summary of the Washington, D.C. conference…

The perceptions of human resource (HR) managers and information technology (IT) professionals regarding the influence of industry-sponsored credentials (ISCs) on recruitment, training, career development, and selected organizational outcomes were examined. Data were collected from 33 (66%) of 50 HR executives surveyed and from a Web-based survey…

Contending that the nation's community colleges should improve the training of future workers by building a national job training program based on successful components already in existence, this paper reviews seven monographs published by the National Council for Occupational Education (NCOE) since 1985 which identify, highlight, or address…

Many states have mandated two possibly far-reaching legislative reforms within secondary vocational education: minimum competency requirements and increased course requirements for graduation. Most legislated educational reforms include only selected aspects of competency-based systems, primarily the specification of and testing for minimum…