The Netherlands' career guidance system and policies were evaluated. Data were collected through meetings with policymakers and guidance practitioners in the public and private sectors, analysis of data from a national questionnaire, and a review of pertinent documentation. The evaluation focused on the following areas: markets and the role of…

Both of these "Surveys of policy and practice" were conducted on behalf of COL by the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) as part of COL's partnership agreement with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning. The first report identifies…

This document is a summary of aerospace industry technician statistics gathered by the Occupational Employment Statistics Survey for the year 2000 by the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data includes the following: (1) a comparison of wages earned by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified and non-FAA certified…

The literature on business involvement in education in Canada, the United States, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom, and other European countries was reviewed. Special attention was paid to the following topics: workplace trends/changes; skill requirements/deficits; youth employment/unemployment; integration versus…

Denmark has a uniform, nationwide vocational education and training (VET) system that provides qualifications that are valid throughout the country and recognized by employers and trade unions. Initial VET (IVET) includes the following components: VET, including commercial and technical training; basic social and health care training; agricultural…

The role of career and technical education (CTE) was explored through a review of the research on CTE. Research on the following topics was examined: the high school dropout problem; high school graduates' transition to work; unprepared college students; the importance of noncollege careers; things employers really want; CTE's promise; the history…

Research since 1990 on vocational education and training (VET) and small business was reviewed. Special attention was paid to the research that has been conducted in the following categories identified in the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Small Business Policy Framework: context; role of government; approach to training; research…

This paper examines quality issues in career guidance, counseling, and information services in Europe and elsewhere from a range of different perspectives related to economic, ethical, and/or effectiveness criteria. Selected examples from the European Union member states, Canada, and the United States are used to illustrate how quality is…

Outcome measures are one of three key dimensions of the performance of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system. The government, employers, students, and the broader community all share an interest in ensuring that Australia's VET system produces skills needed in the labor market. However, each group's views of what constitutes a…

The evolution of cadre (political elite and bureaucratic functionaries) education in China from 1949 to the present was evaluated in terms of leadership development and the underlying interests of the Chinese Communist Party as it integrates more fully into the world economy. Historic achievements include: (1) increased knowledge about market…

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…