Community colleges always have played an integral role in training workers for infrastructure- and transportation-related fields like truck driving, construction, welding and electrical work. If the $1 trillion infrastructure package proposed by President Donald Trump comes to pass, these fields will grow significantly, at least for a while, which…

This chapter is a reflective account of the author's experience as a teacher of English at the University of Pavia during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It considers the design and delivery of an English for architecture and construction engineering course as well as the assessment stage of a text analysis course. It proceeds by…

Preparing students for college and careers is a task that has drastically changed over time. The days of post-secondary education or a degree guaranteeing employment are things of the past, especially during times of economic instability. Also gone are the days of someone who is "good with their hands" graduating from high school and…

Three articles discuss the importance of wood processing to manufacturing and construction industries and the need for progressive change in the curriculum; the evolution of wood-based synthetic panel materials; and the technological advances in the computer control of machine tools and their incorporation into wood technology curricula. (JOW)

Discusses how space industrialization will provide direct benefits for our nation and will transfer technology to the many diverse areas of human activity. Examples are the development of the Space Shuttle, the Space Studies Institute, and the LS Society (advocates for colonizing space). (NRJ)

The construction industry will be short of labor by the mid-1990s. A master plan must be devised by management, labor, educators, and government to train and recruit qualified workers. (JOW)

Following the format of the conference, the presentations in these proceedings are organized in three sections, titled "Introduction"; "National Trends"; and "Labor/Higher Education Initiatives: Finding Common Grounds." The following presentations are included in the introductory section: "Why We're Here" (Donahue, Atwell, Mohler, Grecco). The…

Vocational education can provide opportunities for students by anticipating trends. Four trends in the construction industry are (1) remodeling, (2) building and apartment maintenance, (3) quality, and (4) smart houses. (JOW)

Discusses the advantages and uses of multimedia courseware and describes the step-by-step process for developing it. Includes tips for technology teachers who are new to this instructional method. (JOW)

Today's secondary, postsecondary and career and technical education students stand poised at the center of industry trends that will benefit them enormously. The country is embarking on a construction boom. As baby boomers approach retirement age, a significant portion of the existing construction workforce will be leaving, thus, demand for…

The author recommends that teachers stress customer relations when preparing students for jobs in the construction industry. Students must also be taught that an aggressive business attitude is needed to deal with changing economic conditions. (CT)

"Wheels of Learning," a construction trade curriculum, was integrated with Baltimore County schools curriculum to provide high school students with standardized apprenticeship training and put them on a career path before graduation. (Author/JOW)

Alternatives to master of business administration courses for construction industry managers are portfolios for assessing workplace competence, coaching and mentoring through networks or learning partnerships with master builders, and action learning to attain formal accreditation. These methods can attract small builders and contractors who are…

Data suggest that it is premature to conclude that management has succeeded in appropriating workers' knowledge, accountability, and responsibility for work. The labor market has become fluid and dynamic and no longer conforms to the traditional construct of an internal labor market. A refinement of labor process theory is in order. (JOW)

In a partnership between several tool companies and vocational high schools, students in construction technology classes give new products a fair and rigorous workout at a fraction of the cost of focus groups. The process allows companies to expose their products to students who, in turn, provide critical evaluation of the tools. (JOW)