In the 20 years since the implementation of the Work Investment Act (WIA), federal funding for adult literacy education has remained largely stagnant, and actually decreased in inflation-adjusted dollars from FY2001-FY2019, despite the fact that the field serves fewer than 5% of those in need. Yet over these two decades, the field has moved away…

If training is to make a real difference in the organization, we need an alternative to the vacuum of performance. A view exists that springs from two fundamental premises: (1) every individual operates in the context of a performance system and (2) improvements in performance will occur only if we understand the variables in that system. (JOW)

The author states that to meet the needs of--and to retain--the people in whom organizations have made hefty investments, companies must reexamine and most likely redesign human resource development programs. She presents ways to acknowledge the differences between managerial men and women and establish effective career development practices. (CT)

Describes a curriculum management approach to training that ties together employee career development, current performance needs, and future business plans in order to provide a coherent planning system for the conduct of industrial training. (LRA)

The federal proposal for Job Training 2000 is criticized for ignoring 30 years of job training programs. It would shift responsibility among existing programs but would not provide needed resources to train more workers. (SK)

This article presents a perspective on the relationship between adult education and human resource development of the past two decades and the subsequent emergence of workforce development. The lesson taken from the article should be more than simply a recounting of events related to these fields of study. Instead, the more general lesson may be…

Although it has been accepted that the work force contributes to a country's development, the issue today is what kind of work force would accelerate economic development and growth. Previously, it was assumed that the provision of "high-level manpower" and "middle-level vocational education" should be given priority to serve a country's…

Presents a theoretical discussion of evaluation research and the need for gathering data to support the decision-making process concerned with training program performance. Guidelines for conducting evaluation research are discussed, the participants involved with successful implementation are described, and data gathering methods are explained.…

Identifies the characteristics of collaborative programs focusing on community development, institutional development, and business development. Points to factors which determine the effectiveness of these programs; i.e., organizational mission, the level of leadership responsible for the project, and the depth of institutional involvement. (DMM)

This Opportunity 08 position paper advises that the next President of the United States should focus on lifting the achievement levels of our nation's schoolchildren. It recommends that the new President should mount a determined effort, together with states and local school districts, to boost the academic performance of low achievers by: (1)…

In an internationally competitive training environment, implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in vocational education can provide a comparative advantage in preparing the type of work force required for micro and macro economic reforms. The concept of TQM can be used as a management tool to improve the standards of vocational training.…

A useful, values-oriented human resource development (HRD) program evaluation approach is one that is empirical with its orientation derived from a social/technical perspective. The optimum mix between the technical skills of evaluation and the required social skills of evaluation delivery is crucial for the quality assurance process. The core to…

Basic issues in workplace education evaluation can be structured into five discussion questions. The first is who wants to know what information for what purpose. The "who" constitutes the program's stakeholders both at and beyond the program level. Further inquiry is then needed to determine what kind of information these stakeholders typically…

The Skills Standards Projects have provided further emphasis on the need for benchmarking U.S. vocational-technical education (VTE) against international competition. Benchmarking is an ongoing systematic process designed to identify, as quantitatively as possible, those practices that produce world class performance. Metrics are those things that…

Provides a conceptual framework for categorizing variables and elements used in evaluating customized training programs and for the maintenance of records demonstrating the accountability of the programs. Suggests a model based on variables associated with the educational context, processes used to fill client needs, and outcomes of the program.…