Since 2004, the devolved education systems of England, Scotland and Wales have introduced initiatives to increase contact between employers and young people, particularly aged 14-19, as a supplementary, co-curricular activity within mainstream education. The initiatives are motivated partly to increase wage-earning potential but studies to date…

The third biennial outcome evaluation of the state of Washington's workforce development system analyzed the results of nine of the state's largest workforce development programs plus employer-provided training for participants who left programs from July 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998. For reporting results, the nine programs were grouped into three…

A study used the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Force Experience Youth Cohort to determine the labor market consequences for young people of acquiring a General Educational Development (GED) degree in 1985. Three major consequences of receiving a GED were examined: labor force participation, employment status, and hourly wages. The…

This study examines whether differences in high school curricula lead to differences in labor market opportunities for persons who complete 10 to 12 years of schooling and acquire no postsecondary training. Data were gathered beginning in 1979 from a national longitudinal survey of youth. Researchers studied detailed information on coursework…

The major purpose of this study was to identify unique effects of cooperative vocational education. This interim report is of results of the analyses of existing data bases. Comparisons of cooperative and non-cooperative vocational programs are made on the following variables: enrollments by age, sex and race, school status, work status,…

A study was conducted to determine whether the General Educational Development (GED) Test credential was acceptable to employers in hiring and promoting employees. Major employers in the Denver Metropolitan area were surveyed to determine (1) whether or not there are policies regarding GED credentials versus high school diplomas in governing the…

This study followed up 79,812 vocational job training completers and 316 vocational job training leavers in Ohio for the school year 1981-82. Data were gathered in January 1983 for the 1982 graduating class. The results of the study showed that economic benefits resulted from completing a vocational job training program. Even with the severely…

In January 1989, a study was conducted at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), in Kansas, of students who graduated, received certificates, or completed sufficient courses to have obtained new skills or enhanced existing skills during the 1987-88 academic year. The purpose of the study was to determine the experiences, perceptions, and…

A study gathered followup information on the 1983-84 graduates of Oregon community college vocational students. Of the 83 percent of the graduates who were either employed or pursuing further education, 73 percent were doing so in areas related to the training they had received while enrolled in the community college program. Female graduates…

Changes in the economy and declining profit margins are prompting many businesses to question the value of their training investments. Companies that had been operating under the assumption that they were reaping positive benefits from their training efforts are asking their human resource managers to provide proof that their training programs are…

This study analyzed Oklahoma's completion status reports, student follow-up findings, employers' ratings, and wages of secondary and adult traditional and nontraditional students from vocational and technical education programs for fiscal years 1978-79, 1979-80, and 1980-81. (Complete statistical data calculations for each area analyzed are…

This two-part paper attempts to establish the facts about, and to debate the merits of, using individual earnings information collected quarterly by states from employers as a source for vocational education performance assessment. The first part of the paper explores three topics: (1) who wants to know about the earnings of vocational education…

In January 1988, a follow-up study was conducted of students who had completed a career program at Kansas' Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in 1986-87 to determine their educational and employment status and the relationship of their work to their program of study. Telephone interviews were completed with 337 of the 482 graduates, and an…

Four major components comprised the Organizational Development Research Project at Indiana Vocational Technical College (Ivy Tech). The major component of the research was an evaluation of a model of cost effectiveness/benefit analysis previously developed for postsecondary vocational educators in Indiana. Cost data for all Region 8 Ivy Tech…

New studies dispel the fear that high academic standards set up some students to fail or drop out. This research finds that raising academic standards has a positive impact for all students in the following ways: (1) students take more demanding courses, learn more, and score higher on tests; (2) nationwide, dropout rates are falling and high…