A new phenomenon is emerging: companies are diverging from human capital theory by providing employees a general education in addition to specific training at the workplace. Blue collar workers often do not pursue higher education due to perceived lack of opportunities. If an employer provides educational opportunities, blue collar workers may…

A total of 232 studies on the effects of participation in vocational education that were reported from 1968 through 1979 were analyzed. The studies were classified into more rigorous, less rigorous, and national studies, and were summarized within these groups. Studies of secondary and postsecondary programs were reviewed separately. Focus on the…

The definition of work has undergone a massive transition within the last decade, and this trend has major implications for vocational education. Earlier ideas of work included that it was full-time, permanent, and for life; in addition, work provided opportunities for career development, a clearly-defined employer-worker relationship, and clear…

This document contains two papers from a symposium on learning on the job. "Professional Crisis Workers: Impact of Repeated Exposure to Human Pain and Destructiveness" (Lynn Atkinson-Tovar) examines the following topics: (1) the secondary and vicarious traumatic stress disorder that affects many professional crisis workers who are…

A study examined irregular workers and vocational education and training (VET) centered on laborers in the Korea's manufacturing industry. The study established that, despite the increasing number of irregular workers in Korea, existing VET programs for them fall far short of those for regular workers. Compared with regular workers, irregular…

In Germany and elsewhere, the literature on current and future work requirements rarely discusses the effects of globalization, internationalization, computerization, and other factors from the point of view of workers. Some have suggested that a blurring of limits will be one of the main changes in work in the future. This blurring will involve…

A representative survey of over 30,000 people aged 16-64 years across the 15 member states of the European Union and Norway sought Europeans' preferences for increasing or reducing the number of hours worked per week. Key finding included the following: (1) 51% preferred to work fewer hours in exchange for lower earnings while 12% preferred to…