There is much to welcome in Doug Richard's independent report on the future of apprenticeships. The Richard review offers proposals for redefining and improving the quality of apprenticeships, and for focusing them more on the needs of employers. But will the proposals work, if adopted, and what will be the impact on adults? For this article, the…

Seligman responds to the comments made about the January 2011 "American Psychologist" "Special Issue on Comprehensive Soldier Fitness" (CSF). Seligman proposed an entire issue of on the topic of CSF to encourage psychologists to come to the aid of our government, and he urges psychologists not to be discouraged by this tactic.…

Employer-sponsored, job-related training as a means of satisfying labor demands has potentially profound implications for the operation of the nation's economic system. The alternatives of bidding for desired workers and downgrading job requirements tend to increase inflation and lessen productivity. Since the end of the 1960's, the ability of…

In this article, I explain the practical learning challenges in distributed workplace learning (WL) that are engendered by distance and contradictory motives between distributed instructors. I draw lessons from an empirical study of the institution of a new profession in the British National Health Service that was operationalised through…

The City and Guild of London Institute was set up about one hundred years ago in England to create links among schools, industry, and apprenticeship programs in order to provide examinations to qualify persons entering various trades. Today, the Institute provides services for vocational education according to this procedure: (1) agrees with…

Quality assurance in vocational education is critical to the productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of the work force. The process involves vision and mission, management commitment, standards, monitoring, and continuous improvement. (SK)

Although content-based instruction may eventually produce the same quality of learning as skill-based training, the latter produces results more quickly because skills are practiced earlier. Commonly used for teaching computer skills, the skill-based approach has other applications such as accelerated language learning and the Yamaha method of…

Explores the role of adult basic education, liberal education, and radical adult education in British vocational training projects for unemployed women. Considers the implications with regard to changes in funding policy, predictions of continued long-term unemployment, and the concept of social exclusion. (SK)

Includes "Toward Construct Validation of a Transfer Climate Instrument" (Holton et al.); "Improving Positive Transfer: A Test of Relapse Prevention Training on Transfer Outcomes" (Burke); "Invited Reaction: Progress or Relapse?" (Newstrom); "Invited Reaction: Theory, Research, and Practice" (Tang);…

On-the-job training (OJT) is the most frequently used training method in industry. This OJT is mostly unstructured. While off-job-site training (OJST) should prepare for or supplement OJT, coordination between OJT and OJST is often poor. Advantages of OJT include its low cost, realistic nature, and motivating force. However, it is usually…

Vocational agriculture is education for work. By meeting the needs of the economy and the job market, it can meet the needs of the individual. Although human resource development is important, vocational agriculture should focus on job-relevant competencies and cost effectiveness. (SK)

Describes the methods, success, and future prospects of Jobs for America's Graduates, a nonprofit program encouraging cooperation between schools and private employers in identifying, training, and finding suitable employment for students lacking job skills as high school seniors. The program serves 8,000 students annually in eight states. (PGD)

The director of Northwestern University's Institute for the Learning Sciences describes software that creates simulated environments in which learners focus on skills rather than facts. Also addressed are learning motivation and learning style issues. (SK)

These proceedings summarize the information exchanged at a teleconference involving more than 3,000 participants focusing on the following aspects of the relationship between schooling and employment: (1) what employers are looking for in employees, (2) employers' priorities in making hiring decisions, and (3) education and training on the job.…

This report contains four case studies on "skill ownership" demonstration projects that were conducted in Great Britain as part of the Youth Training Scheme (YTS) initiative. The aim of YTS is to develop a work force that is competent, flexible, and capable of adapting its skills to new and changing types of employment. The case studies…