Looks at the problem of obtaining an adequate supply of trained workers in North America and examines the dual vocational system used in Germany. Offers recommendations with an emphasis on cooperative education. (JOW)

Industry-based skill assessment and certification should (1) be independent of training providers; (2) use variety of instruments; (3) recognize multiple levels of mastery; (4) promote broad training and continuous learning; (5) be geared to high-performance work organizations; (6) be voluntary; and (7) be flexible to keep pace with technology.…

Skilled labor is one of the major requirements for economic growth. It is one of the major constraints on industrial expansion and diversification. Meeting the need for skilled labor in the 1980s is a challenge that demands a concerted effort by the national and provincial governments, educators, business, and labor. (Author)

Youth apprenticeship initiatives offer relevant, work-based learning to non-college-bound youth, preparing them for high-skill jobs and building generic employability skills. (SK)

Describes three programs in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that involve industry, education, and the community in teaching people the skills they need to become productive employees. The programs include a youth apprenticeship program, a customized adult education program, and a Tulsa chamber of commerce industrial alliance that provides manufacturing services…

Many families in Boston, especially the immigrant ones, are unable to navigate the Boston Public Schools system and offer their children the education they could have. In this article, the author shares how the learning and support she obtained from Citizen Schools has helped her navigate through high school and in life. Citizen Schools is an…

The importance of a skilled and highly educated workforce to economic well-being is widely recognized, and the relationship between skills and income is becoming stronger over time. Largely as a result of growing demand for skilled workers, state-level training programs are becoming increasingly important as complements to federal programs.…

This book presents young people's views, understanding, and opinions on a range of issues related to learning, employment, and the world of work in England. They are compared with the statements and policies of those responsible for education, training, and employment. Chapter 1 explores education, training, and employment options open to young…

Seventeen small and mid-sized employers from Annie E. Casey Foundation Jobs Initiative sites addressed the challenges of recruiting, retaining, and promoting frontline workers. Employers shared collaboration experiences with Jobs Initiatives sites to develop effective, efficient strategies to prepare and support low-income residents. Firms relied…

Among the many changes occurring in European society, three "factors of upheaval" are particularly important: the information society, internationalization, and the scientific and technical fields. Education and training can provide two possible solutions to eliminate their pernicious effects. The first involves reintroducing the merits…

Evidence gathered through interviews with members of trade associations, unions, professional societies, business, and industry as well as data obtained from the Department of Labor, congressional testimony, and publications of the commerical and trade press reveals that the shortage of skilled workers in America is reaching crisis proportions.…

This paper synthesizes issues and directions that a review of Australian apprenticeship and traineeship literature suggested. An overview discusses the paper's basis, which was a survey of 125 Australian references from 1985-99. Chapter 2 categorizes issues into seven groups, discusses them, and draws out salient themes. (The groups concerned…

This yearbook contains 24 reports concerning the following seven challenges currently facing vocational education: new needs for job training, reexamining value bases, a growing network of vocational educators, reflecting on past effectiveness, the continuing challenge to meet individual and special needs, strengthening curricula and instruction,…

This book examines the New Labour policy on lifelong learning in Great Britain. Special attention is paid to developments surrounding the University for Industry and the New Deal initiatives and the issue of upgrading the British vocational education and training (VET) system to match those of Britain's European competitors. The following are…

These three publications examine the current state and future of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta, Canada. The "Current Context" publication, released in October 1996, examines the following topics: the structure of apprenticeship and industry training in Alberta; enrollment and industry participation; Alberta's…