This paper provides an account of the main approaches, debates and evidence in the literature on the role of workforce skills in the innovation process in developed economies. It draws on multiple sources including the innovation studies discipline, neoclassical Human Capital theory, institutionalist labour market studies and the work organisation…

During the 1980s, the United States experienced a resurgence of interest in adult literacy that is likely to continue through the 1990s. The factors that have led to renewed concern about adult literacy include the following: a changing workplace requiring increased literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills; a recognition that new entrants to…

The generic skills needed for the new economy were identified through a review of research studies. First, the development of sets of key competencies/key skills in Great Britain, the United States, and Australia were examined. The U.S. model, which involves a broader, more flexible, and more holistic set of generic skills, was contrasted with the…

In spite of the fact that noncredit generates approximately 10% of enrollment in the California Community College System, many people outside and even within the system are not aware of or do not fully understand the importance of noncredit and how it serves California's educational needs. Noncredit courses are basically what its title…

This document reports on the discussion conducted at a seminar in Strasbourg on local development, with particular reference to local development officers in European countries. Of specific interest to the conference participants was the importance of the local and regional dimension in adult education and the latter's contribution to general…

A meeting of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe was convened to examine the organization and scope of research in education for health manpower development (HMD). As a prerequisite for the formulation of recommendations, the participants considered the following points: the need for developmental research, the definition of…

A study examined the extent of the deficit of data concerning allied health fields supply and requirements to determine the kinds of data and studies needed to improve the data base for health and allied health education. At present, data deficits exist in the areas of allied health occupations labor supply and requirements, future health needs,…

The Framework of Work Based Foundation Skills Project was undertaken to facilitate development of Pennsylvania's new workforce investment system Team PA CareerLink by identifying and developing common definitions of the foundation skills all workers need to function effectively in any workplace. A framework of 19 work-based foundation skills and…

The changing nature of the demand for training in Australian enterprises adopting new management practices and the implications of those changes for training providers were examined. More than 3,400 private sector enterprises were surveyed by mail, after which follow-up telephone interviews were conducted with 80 human resource practitioners from…

The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia, developed an undergraduate-level engineering curriculum that balances national interests with those of employers and academics. The curriculum was based on materials posted at the Internet sites of universities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Malaysia…

This document is a practical guide that demonstrates how human resource (HR) professionals can use performance measurement to link HR to organizational strategy and business objectives, and thereby raise the profile of HR within their organization. The following are among the topics examined: (1) the strategic context of measurement (the role…

Well-organized career information, guidance, and counseling services are important both to education systems, the labor market, and their interface. Career education is important within compulsory education because it lays the foundations for lifelong career development. In postcompulsory education, well-organized career information, guidance, and…

A subgroup of the European Training Foundation's Advisory Forum held a roundtable discussion on vocational education and training (VET) against social exclusion. Representatives of the European Union (EU), all Central and Eastern European countries, and Kyrgystan focused on the following four topics: concepts and terminology related to social…

This document contains three papers on human resource development (HRD) in Latin America. "Looking at the Literature on Workplace Democracy in Latin America: Factors in Favor and Against It" (Max U. Montesino) discusses selected issues related to workplace democracy in Latin America and identifies salient issues for further research,…

The capabilities expected of technological workers upon entry into employment were examined. Data were collected through a review of the pertinent literature and an in-person, instrument-guided interview survey of a representative sample of representatives of approximately 250 manufacturing enterprises in nine sectors. The literature review…