Examines recent returns to schooling and vocational and occupational training in OECD countries. Provides estimates of short-cut, Mincer-type, and internal rates of return to schooling and alternative estimates of returns to formal and informal post-school training investments. High-return countries include Austria, Canada, France, Mexico,…

The contribution of higher education institutions to regional development is a theme that has attracted growing attention in recent years. Knowledge institutions are increasingly expected not only to conduct education and research, but also to play an active role in the economic, social and cultural development of their regions. The extent to…

Traditional business practice undervalues human capital, and most conventional accounting models reflect this inclination. The argument for more explicit measurements of human resources is simple: Improved measurement of human resources will lead to more rational and productive choices about managing human resources. The business community is…

Thailand has dramatically increased access to education in the past 25 years; however, like many other developing nations, the country now faces the pressing need to improve educational quality--especially at the primary level. To improve Thailand's primary school quality, the quality of teaching and school administration must be improved. Some…

The contributions of marketing education programs to business and society were analyzed and considered from the perspective of human capital theory and social attainment theory. It was concluded that such programs are a nexus for vocational education and the labor market. (JOW)

This literature review attempts to discern whether more education is actually better for the individual and society. We investigate the literature and ask: What are the economic and non-economic returns to postsecondary education investments? Who reaps the benefits of those investments? And, most important, are there sufficient returns, both…

Corporate America is changing the shape of school-business partnership. Offers tips to board members on how to open the door to two-way partnerships with the business community. Summarizes a number of existing programs and describes a proposed computerized information system--"Wordlink"--that reports student achievements to employers. (MLF)

Three recent books on the economic impact of higher education, two concerning the New England region, are examined. Discussion focuses on the role and importance of higher education in meeting human capital needs. It is suggested that future publications go further to explicitly address how higher education can continue to merit public support.…

Data on rural-urban differences in access to telecommunications technology suggest that the U.S. "digital divide" is diminishing. However, major shortcomings in telecommunications infrastructure persist in rural America, and more serious barriers to rural development are related to human capital shortages. These may be resolved in some…

Provides a review of research on the contribution of education to the organization and productivity of a nation's resources. Focuses on what is known about the particular contribution of higher education to U.S. economic growth. Discusses the relationship between earnings and additional schooling. Concludes that increased education probably has…

A rural Mississippi Delta study found that participation in subsistence activities was greater among whites, persons with higher income and education, and those from larger families, suggesting an element of lifestyle choice (rather than economic strategy). However, a subsistence lifestyle may deter youth from leaving to pursue higher education,…

This volume examines conceptual frameworks and models that flow from scholars' definitions and operationalizations of social class: status attainment theory, human capital theory, the financial nexus model, Bourdieuian theory, and critical race theory. Since students often have multiple social locations that affect their educational process, the…

In order to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion" the European Union realizes its people as the most important asset. Moreover, every human becomes a value for the whole society. It makes significant to…

The purpose of this collection of five essays is to present a sample of the diverse directions taken by economists in their analysis of education. Topics discussed include the effects of earnings on human capital formation; the production function and its use in the study of education; goals and accountability; domestic educational finance and the…

Discussed are some of the underlying causes of problems in developing countries. Included are: the mismatches of educational and training programs in relation to the occupational skills requirements for industrialization; and the traditional preferences of the people of underdeveloped societies for humanistic education over manual, technical and…