Improvements in workforce skills are essential for European countries to attain higher economic growth and to compete effectively on product markets. Literature indicates a positive relationship between levels of education and productivity growth. This report builds on and expands this body of research in two ways: (1) It investigates the…

In a period of student loan scandals and U.S. financial market instability impacting on the cost and availability of student loans, this paper looks at alternative models of higher education funding. In this context, it also considers the level of financial support that the government should provide to higher education.

An analysis of the service sector in five countries (France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United States) was made through synthesis of earlier research on work patterns in the countries. Some of the findings and issues discovered concerned the following: (1) the heterogeneity of the service sector; (2) the progress of part-time work; (3)…

Development of a course in French for tourism and the hotel industry in Sweden is chronicled, focusing on the process of functional analysis used to determine appropriate language content. A general functional outline of touristic French and an outline of language functions specific to a restaurant situation are presented. (MSE)

This book examines how quality management is implemented in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It presents the survey results as two sector studies. Competitive and specialization tendencies of the sectors and company concepts of "quality" and…

In addition to an "Introduction" (Gonon, et. al), there are these 18 essays: "Women and Men in Swiss Vocational Education (Borkowsy); "Women in Basic and Advanced Training" (Grossenbacher); "How Constitutional Change and Legal Reform Projects Foster Equal Opportunities in the Fields of Vocational Education and Higher…

This report studies the matching of educational and occupational structures in Sweden and Finland by using classifications that include all educational and occupational groups. By using comprehensive databases available in Finland and Sweden, it aims to develop the methodological and theoretical perspectives of the research on education and…

This paper summarizes a comparative study of the impact of market and technological changes on human resources in banks and insurance companies in five countries: France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United States. The research was organized around case studies of changes in 12 firms--9 banks and 3 insurance carriers. The paper discusses the…

In forestry, as in other fields, technological advances have resulted in significant changes in work practices and skill requirements. Vocational training and improvement of forestry workers' skills through lifelong learning can help achieve sustainability in forestry. The objectives of lifelong learning are to integrate people into working life…

These proceedings are comprised of 23 presentations on research in European vocational education and human resource development. Papers include "Developing Information and Communication Technology Capability in Higher Education in the United Kingdom (UK)" (Nick Boreham); "Methodological Issues in the Study of Organizational…