As of March 2018, there were 6.6 million job vacancies in the US, signaling a shortage of skilled workers. Furthermore, a 2017 McKinsey survey of young people and employers reported that 40 percent of employers said a lack of skills was the principal reason for entry-level job vacancies, which demonstrates that the current education and training…

As employers scan the current workforce and anticipate future workforce needs, they frequently find that employees are not well-equipped with core content knowledge and 21st century workplace competencies, the combination of which the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation defines as "deeper learning." The cumulative effect of these…

Kentucky employers (249 of 800 surveyed) identified adaptability, teamwork, communication, and problem solving as entry-level and advancement skills. Over 50 percent did no preemployment testing. Responses indicated areas needing change: training focused on workplace basics, accessible training delivery, and preemployment assessment services. (SK)

An opinionnaire/questionnaire was developed to discover the types of information superintendents and other administrators look at most carefully when reviewing materials sent by applicants for teaching positions. Responses were obtained from superintendents of urban, rural, and small town school districts in Kentucky. A vast majority of the…

A study determined employer perceptions of single parents/displaced homemakers' skills after receiving training through special training centers across Kentucky. Centers were funded through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. Employer perceptions of single parents/displaced homemakers in comparison to other employees was also…

Rural school districts where ethnocentrism, traditionalism, primary group preference, and social conservatism form the dominant value system could be contributing to their own ineffectiveness through their patterns of personnel selection. This study investigated the influence of rural values on components of personnel selection and the tacit…

A study compared the cost effectiveness of secondary child care and commercial foods occupational home economics programs in Kentucky. Identified as dependent variables in the study were program effectiveness, cost efficiency, and cost effectiveness ratio. Program expenditures, community size, and program age were considered as independent…

Components of a project to assess the reasons for the imbalance of women in administrative positions in vocational education were research, synthesization, and evaluation. Phase 1 of the five-phase research study, a literature review, identified internal and external barriers. Mail surveys in phases 2 and 3 identified attitudes, perceptions, and…

This study examines postsecondary, less-than-baccalaureate occupational education opportunities in Kentucky, focusing on governance, coordination, availability, and participation in such programs. Program offerings and enrollments were determined through a survey of state vocational-technical schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and…