Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) is a form of adult language education that teaches communicative skills in the context of preparing learners for a particular vocation. Despite their pedagogical and logistical benefits for adult language learners, such programs are uncommon today. This literature review traces the emergence and…

The history of Adult Education (AE) graduate programs spans almost a century, yet many programs have experienced significant challenges in recent years to remain viable. The purpose of this paper is to understand the struggles AE graduate programs encounter in building, maintaining, and growing programs in North America. We conducted two separate…

In the United States, adult and workforce education (AE) seems to be located, simultaneously, both everywhere and nowhere in particular. Ongoing shifts in national economic demands and changes in requirements for training and education have brought learning in the adult years into the federal public policy arena. Sometimes referred to as lifelong…

This paper examines Canadian federal and cross-provincial higher education policy from 1960 to 1990, a critical time when provisions for vocational and adult training came under the auspices of governmental concern, justified under both an economic rationale and as a way to address persistent forms of inequality. The problematisation of skill…

Throughout the history of the United States, adult education has played a continuous role in helping adults reach for better lives. In the early 20th century, as this country witnessed expanded growth and tremendous work opportunities, it became apparent that in order to have a productive workforce and economic stability, the language needs of so…

This study provides an in-depth analysis of the Community-Based Job Training Grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor from 2005 to 2008. The primary research question is designed to identify the most important factors in meeting grant-training outcomes; however, numerous secondary questions were addressed to provide the reader with in-depth…

Focuses on the relationship between corporation schooling and the labor market in the early twentieth century in the United States. Follows the beginnings of corporation schools as industry began to provide its own shop training programs to develop a trained labor force. Explores labor market concerns, the effects schools had on earnings, and the…

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. The following purposes summarize the work of the…

Workers' social and educational experiences during the early twentieth century led to a perceived need for their own schools. Ideological origins of the labor colleges are enumerated, the objectives and programs of one labor college, Brookwood, are examined, and contributions of labor colleges to the American labor movement are analyzed. (RM)

Examines the conceptualization of gender redress within the policy development work on the National Qualification Framework (NQF) that is a key initiative of education reform in South Africa. Discusses the history of the NQF and addresses perspectives on gender and the integration of education and training from 1989 to 1996. (CMK)

In Taiwan, human resource development (HRD) is defined as the systematic education, training, and development employers provide for their employees as well as organizational development for corporations. A history of HRD development indicates that in the 1960s, the government began to implement planning measures for HRD in business and industry;…

Intended for policy planners, administrators, and scholars, this document contains summaries and excerpts of official government of India documents published since 1939 on adult education. The document is in three parts. The first part contains government documents that deal exclusively with adult education. Their subjects include adult education…

The 13 papers in this yearbook discuss 4 broad subject areas: questions of competence, evaluating quality, professional cultures, and learning and trends in adult education. The following papers are included: "Human Resource Development (HRD) Practitioners Analyzing Their Work"(Tuija Valkeavaara); "Life Competence in a World of…

Religion pervades all aspects of Saudi Arabia, the conservative home of Islam, where the constitution is the Quran and law is interpreted by religious scholars. A formal adult basic education program was initiated in 1960. As part of the country's modernization since the early 1970s, the Saudi government has begun an enormous nation-building plan…

In China, lifelong learning has a long history--as a way to prepare for traditional civil examinations, which opened opportunities for social mobility and, later, to train the adult workforce to meet national economic objectives. In Shanghai, adult education has recently become essential for adapting the workforce to rapid economic change, but…