The rapid technological advancement that U.S. society is experiencing has increased the likelihood that workers will have to be trained and retrained throughout their working lives to meet continually changing job requirements. This situation has challenged instructors of technical communication who are faced with the overlap of traditional…

This study was conducted to assess how the Hartford Area Vocational Center could work with area employers to increase the occupational skill readiness of currently employed workers. A total of 1,381 employers in Vermont and New Hampshire were surveyed through a mailed questionnaire, with a return rate of 518 employers (38 percent). Most employed…

Defining and developing a quality control technician curriculum for an associate degree program is a difficult and puzzling job. There are as many definitions of quality control and curriculum ideas as there are educators asked. However, one could start by dividing the field into its major areas--heavy manufacturing, maintenance, research, and…

While the need for improved literacy in the work force is generally accepted, questions still remain as to what levels of literacy are required for different jobs and who will provide the necessary adult literacy training. To answer these questions, researchers must develop a database of information about literacy needs and deficiences. Developing…

Based on a review of the literature on industrial education as well as on comments elicited from industrial educators, it does not appear that the topics for research in industrial education have changed much throughout the years. What has changed, however, is the context in which industrial educators operate. In light of these changes, it would…

Past rural policies are reviewed, noting the effects of globalization and information technology. Rural business profits can be maximized by direct cost or value-added competition, but cost competition limits the development of productive capacity and leads to unequal income distribution. In contrast, value-added competition could create steep…

The effectiveness of Mississippi's policy of offering incentives to promote workplace training was examined through phone surveys of a sample of 101 of Mississippi's 2,617 manufacturing firms with 100-350 employees (47 of the 77 plants that have used Mississippi incentive programs and 54 plants that have not) and in-depth case studies of 4 plants.…

Experience has shown that it is possible for vocational educators and industry representatives to work together to meet the education development needs of employees in new and expanding industries. In order to remain a factor in economic/industrial development, adult vocational education must assist industry in identifying their training needs,…

The current trend toward expanded use of automation and computers in manufacturing has increased the need for a working partnership between industry and vocational education. One such partnership involves the members of the personnel development staff at Nissan Motors in Smyrna, Tennessee and local secondary and postsecondary vocational education…

The planning and implementation of vocational training in Singapore (training primarily intended for school-leavers) is highly directed toward serving labor force development objectives. This paper explains the vocational training infrastructure (a national system, the conduct of which is vested in the Vocational and Industrial Training Board),…

This document contains transcripts of nine speeches presented at a panel discussion. During the panel presentations, speakers, who are restauranteurs, food service vocational teachers, food service program coordinators, and industry association representatives, described the programs with which they are involved. The programs range from having…

Japanese industrialization started later than in other countries and thus relied at first on foreign-trained persons. Soon, however, Japanese companies began systems of in-house training for their employees. Eventually, some companies paid tuition for their employees to attend night schools at educational institutions and even to study abroad.…

In Denmark, the institution of shop steward was established in 1900. Until World War II, shop stewards' main functions were to recruit new trade union members and check whether labor agreements were being observed. After World War II, Denmark's shop stewards began having to deal with increasingly complicated and "technical" questions.…

Unlike many recent immigrants who entered Canada as highly trained professionals in their countries of origin, most of Canada's immigrant garment workers are working-class women with little education. The Apparel Textile Action Committee (ATAC) and Homeworker's Association (HWA) are among the bodies that were established to assist immigrant…

Work force development in the Peoples' Republic of China (PRC) is affected by sundry but interrelated factors. Included among these are the following: (1) the PRC's population of one billion people; (2) a recent history of political turmoil and violence, resulting in profound changes in national leadership and vacillation in national policy; (3)…