A national survey of hiring executives was conducted to assess the acceptability of a job applicant's qualifications for employment that included a degree earned solely online or one that included a significant amount of online coursework. The questionnaire was sent in response to job advertisements posted in newspapers in eight major metropolitan…

This article summarizes the results of a study to determine employers' hiring preferences for vocationally trained individuals, and illustrates the use of these data to more accurately estimate job openings. (Author)

Responses from 51 Fortune 500 training and development executives identified 28 information technology skills strongly recommended for business graduates. A similar 1995 survey identified only 11 skills. The largest increase occurred in Internet/Web telecommunications and discipline-specific information systems. (Contains 31 references.) (SK)

Reviews the status of National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications in the United Kingdom in terms of employer acceptance, role in company training, employee participation, small business usage, and overall employer investment in training. Considers the implications of concerns about the system for the learning targets to be achieved by the new…

A survey of 500 business students and 347 employers found the following: (1) employers' top five rankings of employee attributes were enthusiasm/motivation, interpersonal skills, initiative, oral communication, and maturity; (2) students' rankings were oral communication, enthusiasm/motivation, self-confidence, ambition, and entrepreneurship; and…

Compares preferences of CEOs of small companies in southern Louisiana with those of the "Fortune" 500 chief human resources officers concerning resumes and application letters. Finds no significant difference. (RS)

Responses from more than 400 employers indicated that the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) competencies adequately identified entry workers' needs. Over 90% said the following were necessary for entry workers: personal quality skills, basic skills, thinking skills, and interpersonal competencies. Disparities between the…

Responses from 97 of 500 British employers identified minimum and preferred qualifications for new employees. A substantial number specified no minimum level. Most do not value National Vocational Qualifications and favor academic qualifications for higher-status occupations. Those who specified minimum qualifications were more likely to train…

A survey of 372 British employers showed they tended to recruit an elite group of graduates from a hierarchy of institutions, making problematic a proposed flat tuition fee. Employer skill needs appeared to be converging, and claims of a skills gap in highly qualified workers were not supported by the data. (Contains 62 references.) (SK)

Business education teachers must continue to design relevant learning experiences for future secretaries, teachers, accountants, and managers. Alternatives to the current programs emphasize the need for better information about working conditions, job descriptions and employers' perceptions of what makes a successful employee. (JC)

Analyzes help-wanted advertisements for editorial personnel in "Editor & Publisher" from 1920 to 1980. Indicates that the content of job ads has not changed significantly over the 60-year period and that employers are more concerned with journalism skills than with professional values. (MM)

Pennsylvania electronics manufacturers responding to a survey (93 of 250) identified the most important skills for new workers as following directions and mastery of basic electronics. Least important were leadership, creativity, and written communication. Firm size was not a significant variable. (SK)

A 12-year study of National Vocational Qualifications in England and Scotland suggests that they have had limited impact on the competitiveness of the British economy, their value or significance to the national skill base remains unproven, and debate about them is based on ideology or theory rather than independent empirical research. (SK)

Executives (n=63) and office-systems educators (n=88) recommended for workers the following categories of computer end-user skills: hardware, operating systems, word processing, spreadsheets, database, desktop publishing, and presentation. (SK)