Twenty-two National Skill Standards Projects were conducted to develop National Skill Standards over a 3-year period beginning in 1992. These projects were funded by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor to develop materials useful for improving the quality of the work force through identification of skill standards and related materials…

Ohio vocational education teachers' awareness of, attitudes toward, and use of national skill standards were examined through a survey of a proportional (by vocational program area) stratified random sample of 346 of Ohio's 3,499 secondary vocational teachers. Of the teachers surveyed, 205 (59%) returned usable responses. The teachers were…

The Australian government, employer groups, and the trade union movement acknowledge a critical need to improve work force skills. Focus is on the notion of competencies and measurable learning outcomes. The driving force has been the linking of industry restructuring with occupational classification restructuring (award restructuring). The…

In many countries throughout the world, efforts to articulate the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of workers have translated into the development of organizations with the specific charter to establish industry-based skill standards with attendant new and/or expanded forms of certification of competencies. The new emphasis on skill…

In the United Kingdom, these two perspectives on lifelong learning sit uneasily together: emphasis on adults in employment and a focus on diversity and widening participation in adult education. A recent emphasis on accreditation with implications for funding has affected diversity and participation objectives because involving assessment,…