This article explores cross-country patterns in how conditions relating to family background, education, and the labor market are related to literacy and numeracy skills. It seeks to assess whether these patterns are in agreement with models of skills formation as identified in the political economy literature. The novelty of this article resides…

This report explores the links between trade unions and workplace training, and the potential benefits of social partnership in the skills system. The UK is relatively unusual in having no formal role for trade unions in the training system. In most advanced economies, trade unions and employers work alongside government in shaping the skills…

"Research Messages 2013" provides a summary of the research published in 2013 by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in the following broad categories: (1) skills and productivity: from VET qualifications to higher-level qualifications and issues affecting the workforce; (2) social inclusion and participation in…

This Canadian study investigated how the transfer of learning occurred in an employment preparation programme for adults with low literacy skills using a multi-site case study research design. Four different programmes involving trainees, instructors and workplace supervisors participated in the investigation. Results indicated that the transfer…

The use, learning and transfer of workplace numeracy skills, as well as current understandings of the term numeracy, are examined in this study. It also highlights the importance of numeracy as an essential workplace skill. The report challenges the training system and training organisations to provide numeracy training which makes links directly…

In this paper, the author would like to put forward a number of issues to think about and discuss. At the same time, she argues for a better articulated system that more closely matches the needs and goals of various subgroups of English language learners. Adult ESL programs serve diverse immigrant populations with different needs and goals. A…

Explores the relationship between participation in a Canadian urban adult literacy programs and employment status over three years. Finds that most participants returned to the same sort of low-paying jobs. Suggests that agencies and groups providing financial support for such programs reconsider the strong focus on employment that permeates these…

This interim report describes the first few months' work of a task force that developed a set of procedures for conducting a literacy task analysis. A literacy task analysis could be used by employers, union delegates, human resource personnel, trainers, and adult educators to understand better the specific workplace training needs of employees,…

This report presents speeches and other materials from a seminar to provide an opportunity for specialists from a wide range of backgrounds to take part in a joint reflection on the new challenges and opportunities facing continuing education and training in an enlarged European Community. It is intended to stimulate ideas for a new policy…

Six demonstration projects were conducted in England to identify and help meet the basic communication needs of individuals who embarked on work-related skills training. Unemployed adults were divided into two strands. Strand A concentrated on those adults who without significant help with basic communication skills would be unable to reach the…

This report documents, in case study format, eight workplace literacy programs in Canada. Introductory materials highlight conclusions and discuss reasons for undertaking the project to document the Canadian experience in basic skills training from the perspective of the employer and employee and program design. Each case study or program profile…

This six-chapter report describes Hong Kong's experience in promoting nonformal and quasi-formal education programs aimed at enabling adults, especially those with limited formal educational experience, to engage actively in social activities and cope with the change of employment conditions in the city during its post-World War II growth from…

The Conference proceedings include an Introduction by Demetrios Papademetriou. Two panels presented speakers as follows: Panel I: Elementary and Secondary (K-12) Education: (1) Immigrant Integration and "Bilingual" Education (Alec Ian Gershberg); (2) Absent Policies: Canadian Strategies for the Education and Integration of Immigrant…

On May 5, 2006, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in Australia announced the launch of "Research Messages, 2005"--a collection of summaries on all research projects published or completed by NCVER in 2005. The summaries are clustered under five broad themes used by NCVER to organise all of its vocational…

The Labour Adjustment Initiative was developed in Ontario to provide the ever-increasing number of laid-off workers with remedial basic skills training in order to prepare them for other jobs or further training. The model developed by the Literacy Branch of the Ontario government emphasized a collaborative approach that drew together all of the…