This article investigates the ways in which students are constructed in contemporary English higher education policy. First, it contends that, contrary to assumptions made in the academic literature, students are not conceptualised as 'empowered consumers'; instead their vulnerability is emphasised by both government and unions. Second, it…

Intermediaries--also referred to as bridge builders, boundary spanners, conveners, and other names--fill the critical role of connecting all the parties in the system to empower people with the skills required in the labor force. Those parties generally include employers, educators, workers, and prospective workers. Within these categories may…

A West German study examined the demand for opportunities to study while working for people with vocational qualifications who desire academic qualifications. Three areas showed promise for minimizing existing inequalities: the vocational orientation of courses taken while working, the interest of unions and employers, and the support of…

An alliance between apprenticeship and vocational education could accomplish more than either system could achieve on its own. An understanding of the system is important prior to working effectively with apprenticeship programs. They are sponsored by single employers or groups of employers acting singly or jointly with a union. Union interest…

The extent of linkages of vocational education with Michigan's business community was examined through a survey of employers and labor union representatives and five employer focus groups. Of the 583 public and private sector employers and union representatives who received the questionnaire, 185 (31.9%) returned usable responses. The…

This packet contains a series of five brochures that discuss workplace literacy program development. Each brochure deals with a specific aspect of such programs and reflects the expertise of several successful program developers and instructors. The brochures cover the following topics: (1) gaining management support; (2) working with management…

This two-part document reports the results of a literature review of workplace literacy program evaluation and then details a study of two current workplace literacy programs. The five chapters of the first part summarize findings on what is known about workplace literacy programs, methods for evaluating workplace literacy programs, assessing…

Although corporate spending on partnerships with education has more than doubled in the past 20 years, many in educational circles are questioning whether corporate contributions benefit student knowledge and learning development as well as corporations' bottom lines. Three examples of corporate giving that can be viewed from dual perspectives are…

Although apprenticeship used to be viewed as academically questionable, today many educators consider it an ideal vehicle for the work-based learning necessary for the school-to-work transition. In particular, youth apprenticeships are seen as having potential to minimize youth floundering in the labor market, ensure educative work experiences,…

The nine papers in this volume represent a majority of the presentations at a conference that examined in detail employee development (ED) initiatives from Europe and North America. An introduction provides a contextual background to the vocational training and education debates characterizing policy development in the European and North American…

This report was based on telephone interviews with 86 individuals from 53 workplaces across Canada. The study sample included a diverse range of workplace types and sizes from both large and small communities. Of the eligible workplaces contacted, 93% were able to participate. The interview questions focused on why workplaces started basic skills…

This document describes the training of in-company trainers of young people in the United Kingdom (UK). Part 1 describes the context, including the focus and method of the UK study, the current situation for in-company training for young people, and the national context for training the trainers. Part 2 focuses on the following: characteristics,…

This report describes and analyzes the programs of the Education Fund of District Council 37 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in New York City. The Education Fund is a program carried out by the union to provide a wide variety of educational curricula, many on its premises, for the union's thousands of…

A study identified United States Department of Labor efforts to expand apprenticeship to new occupations and explained impediments to establishing apprenticeship programs in fields not traditionally apprenticed (e.g., high technology and biotechnology). Labor had not systematically identified new occupations suitable for apprenticeship programs…

This study of the conditions of developmental on-the-job training and learning for operators in highly automated industries is written in Swedish but contains an English abstract and 18-page summary. The summary begins with the study objectives, which were to determine the following: (1) conditions of developmental on-the-job learning in highly…