Soon after the Great Recession of 2008 hit this manufacturing stalwart of the upper Midwest, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker began proclaiming that the skills gap--the idea that plenty of well-paying jobs existed, but the educational system was failing to provide employers with skilled workers--was the primary cause of high unemployment and a…

Despite near-record unemployment rates in the region, southeast Wisconsin's healthcare sector faces a distinctive challenge: finding sufficient numbers of qualified and trained workers to fill current and future job openings. A May 2009 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee analysis found that one out of every four full-time job openings and one out…

A study examined the emerging skill needs in the Wisconsin printing industry, a key industry that provided the largest increase (more than 13,000 new jobs) in manufacturing employment in the state in the past decade. Eighteen interviews were conducted with industry personnel and production managers, union representatives, technical college…

This document contains teaching guides for the two courses included in Wisconsin's Health Occupations Education Curriculum, which is designed to help students become informed consumers of health care services and to determine individual suitability for pursuing vocational commitment in the health services field. This curriculum is also designed to…

A sample of 145 people representing eighty farm operations and a statewide sample of 233 agricultural and agribusiness workers participated in a study to identify competencies, their importance (on a one to five rating scale), and the performance level required of a beginning farm operator in each of the following five cluster areas considered…

This health careers guidance manual was developed to provide high school counselors, teachers, and students with information regarding health career opportunities and available training programs in Wisconsin. The content is in two volumes, with the first comprising two-thirds of the manual. Volume 1 begins with one-page job briefs on fifty-four…

The purpose of the study was to determine whether those persons employed in a secretarial-clerical office position in the Lakeshore District (Wisconsin) felt there was a need in their occupational cluster for a series of continuing educational offerings; and if there was a need, on what bases could Lakeshore Technical Institute best develop and…

The ten chapters included in this forestry manual for vocational agriculture instructors are grouped into three parts. A course outline precedes part 1 and assists the teacher by providing performance objectives, major concepts to be developed, a subject matter outline, motivational ideas, suggested learning activities, and a list of resource…

A study was conducted to determine the performance levels of competencies for job entry as a data processing programer. Specifically, the study sought to answer: (1) What tasks are performed by entry level programers? (2) How frequently are these tasks performed? (3) What level of performance is necessary for these tasks? (4) How important are…

A study was conducted to assess the relationship of competencies taught in the Wisconsin Vocational-Technical and Adult Education system Data Processing (DP) Diploma Programs to required on-the-job skills. DP graduates, their employers, and instructors were surveyed in order to obtain a comparative evaluation of the program, and a sample of…

A study was conducted to identify the different entry level jobs available and to determine the competencies, qualifications, and/or training important for persons seeking employment in clothing apparel and textile service occupations in the State of Wisconsin. The four occupations studied were sewing machine operator, fabric specialist,…

A study was conducted to assess the relationship between data processing competencies taught in Wisconsin Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education District Data Processing programs and on-the-job demands, as a basis for curriculum review and revision. A sample of program graduates, their employers, and instructors were asked to rate 75…

This workbook is one component of the Career Survival Kit prepared for teenage parents in Wisconsin. The workbook helps students identify their skills and interests, choose an occupation, plan for a career, and discuss issues of concern to them as parents. The workbook emphasizes the need to plan for the future. Activities explore the concepts of…

This document is intended to give Wisconsin teachers and administrators the background knowledge to understand the nuances of the various work-based learning (WBL) programs and determine whether they want to develop one or more new WBL programs in their district or enhance or otherwise customize existing WBL programs. Each of the first 11 chapters…

This guide lists a wide variety of business education resources of interest to business teachers (especially in Wisconsin). The guide is organized in 18 sections that cover the following topics: acronyms and definitions; audiovisual suppliers; bulletin boards and games; publishers for employability skills; educational institutions; facilities…