The author defines self-instruction as any training method in which the trainee has control over the pace and to some extent the conditions of his learning. He discusses requirements for application of self-instructional methods: knowledge component isolation, material relevance, adaptable entry point, knowledge transfer exercises, feedback…

Against the backdrop of training provision in the apartheid era and a description of the promulgation of a new skills development regime post-1994, this article considers the status and distribution of enterprise training in contemporary South Africa. It is found that reasonable progress is being made with training in large and medium-sized firms…

This study of the vocational training system in the Federal Republic of Germany was conducted by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training through site visits, seminars, research papers, and discussion. The study found that the majority of young people in the Federal Republic of Germany (currently 1.8 million) receive their…

Three major types of occupational training programs in Texas were analyzed to reveal their strengths and weaknesses and the extent to which each had succeeded in resolving the dilemmas common to all forms of occupational training. These dilemmas were effectiveness and relevance, the purpose and content of training, and targeting. Firm-based…

Characteristics of education and training provided by corporations, and the role of corporations as providers of education and as collaborators, competitors, and supporters of traditional institutions are examined. In addition, the history of corporate-based education and training is traced, and internal and external factors that determine what…

The Manufacturers' Alliance for Productivity and Innovation surveyed the members of its two Human Resources Councils to obtain feedback on the training employers provide their employees. The survey inquired about features of company training initiatives, special training programs that arose from a specific training need that had been instituted,…

The decentralized structure and functions of labor unions and their educational programming are examined, and the support of federal and state legislation and colleges and universities are traced. The four union educational categories are labor education, apprentice education, vocational training, and self-improvement education. Labor education is…

A study examined training and staff development initiatives in Australian industrial and commercial organizations. It was carried out using a questionnaire and structured interview technique with 24 organizations. Larger organizations had their own facilities and trained in-house whereas smaller organizations made more use of Technical and Further…

Mass production, introduced into the factories of the United States in the early 1900s, required workers who were trained to be cooperative, loyal to the company, and possessed specific job skills to operate the machinery. To produce these workers, American corporations turned away from the educational programs of the public schools, and began to…

Although it was generally recognized that the acquisition of productive skills occurred mainly in private industry, either through formal company training programs or simply through "learning by doing," very little specific information about such training was available. This study of the inplant training procedures of one company was…

Some of the few U.S. studies on the link between training and productivity have used a subjective measure of productivity or a measure of the productivity of the most recently hired worker relative to a fully trained worker, rather than output, labor productivity, total factor productivity, or value-added measures. Administered by the U.S. Bureau…

The National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce's National Employer Survey represents a unique source of information on how employers recruit workers, organize work, invest in physical capital, and use education and training in the workplace. The U.S. Bureau of the Census administered it as a telephone survey to a nationally…

Outlines a procedure for designing an industrial skills training program in which the trainer prepares a job analysis by actually learning about the job duties and equipment; writes instructional objectives for each equipment section; and combines sets of job photos, scripts, objectives, and other information into a study guide for trainees. (MF)

Two forces define a real problem for industries struggling to retain or develop a place in a competitive world market: demographics and the rising level of necessary skills. An examination of Indiana population demographics shows a shortfall of approximately 140,000 workers. The majority of new jobs will require some postsecondary education. The…

The German education system is the responsibility of the 16 federal states. The federal government plays the leading role in regularizing the on-the-job section of occupational training in the dual system. Other forms of occupational training are full-time vocational schools and further full-time vocational training schools. The on-the-job part of…