A look at the potential impact of high technology suggests that there may be a dim side to the popular view that high technology is the answer to America's educational and occupational problems. In reality, as technology advances continue, required job skills will decrease further. High technology will account for only 7 percent of all new jobs…

The role of colleges and universities in preparing students for work and leisure in the future is discussed. It is suggested that students of the future may be divided into three broad categories of traditional students, nontraditional students, and minorities. The role of higher education in preparing these groups for work and leisure activities…

America is shifting from an industrial age to a technological age, and educational observers are questioning the ability of our nation's schools to prepare its youth to deal with the changing nature of their country. With studies showing declining abilities among high school graduates in math competency, reading skills, and inferential reasoning…

The American Medical Association, through accreditation of medical schools, has acquired control over medical education and thus restricts competition among medical schools and among doctors in violation of the Sherman Act. These actions are not shielded from Sherman Act scrutiny and the AMA is liable for its accreditation activities. (Author/SF)

Opportunities for blacks in law enforcement careers are detailed. Local and federal law enforcement agencies are hiring members of minority groups. In a climate in which so many young African Americans are involved in negative behaviors, others should take the opportunity to try to provide positive role models. (SLD)

Planning for educational programs in agriculture/agribusiness demands knowledge of future employment demand for various occupations. At present, a functional and comprehensive occupational information system for agriculture/agribusiness does not exist. Systems that do exist, such as the Occupational Information System (OIS) and the Dictionary of…

Some possible solutions to the shortage of faculty jobs are addressed in two papers. In "PhDs in Nonacademic Careers: Are There Good Jobs," Lewis C. Solmon evaluates the prospects for nonacademic jobs for humanists, scientists, engineers, and social scientists, based on three separate studies. Projections on the probable major of undergraduates…

A roundtable on Appropriate Technology (AT) was sponsored by the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC) and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a result of a mandate from Congress to develop an AT program. The roundtable report first discusses the role of the NSF in including community colleges in the…

Examining recent claims that American schools inadequately prepare students in science and mathematics, the author argues that such claims are exaggerated and misleading and may lead to undesirable tradeoffs in the areas of curriculum, school finance, and social opportunity. (JBM)

A digital divide, a chasm between those with access to technology and training, particularly workplace information technology (IT) skills and those without, threatens the economic prosperity of American workers and America's competitiveness. The most effective way to reduce digital disparities is to improve the education and training of the…

These 19 papers from the second annual Policy Forum on Employability Development explore the responsiveness of various educational and training institutions to changing labor market demands. The first three papers provide an overview of the forum. They summarize the proceedings and policy considerations and address how vocational education and…

The seven papers in this volume address three topics: the economic effects of vocational education, occupational projections, and coordination among institutions providing training. The first paper analyzes high school vocational education from an economic viewpoint, while the second examines the effects of vocational training coupled with the…

In the post-World War II period, women have been employed in jobs that have been degraded, deskilled, and cheapened. Their employment has increasingly been in the service sector. Data supports the argument that women are treated as secondary workers in the labor market and are not paid as equals to men. Along with the degradation of women's jobs…

In the middle of the 20th century, job training was largely unnecessary, since workers were desperately needed to labor in manufacturing and construction jobs. Skills were learned on the job, and even a high school diploma was not needed for most occupations. Workers received wages that allowed them to raise a family comfortably and then to retire…

This document contains proceedings of a Congressional hearing that examined the status of vocational and technical education in the District of Columbia. The hearing also covered what new plans and programs are being proposed and implemented in the District of Columbia school system in order to keep pace with changes in an increasingly…