This report provides a statistical overview of vocational education and training (VET) and lifelong learning in European countries. Data are presented in the form of statistical snapshots, one for each of the 31 selected indicators. To the extent allowed by data availability, data are presented for the 27 European Union (EU) Member States and for…

In the past half-century, most countries have emphasized the development of human capital as an instrument for economic growth, sustainable development, and improved global competitiveness. However, limited evidence exists on the link between skills development and a country's competitiveness. This paper examines the contribution and association…

On February 5, 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the final rules implementing changes in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA). While these rules do not affect the overall statutory limitations on counting education and training toward the…

Despite its position as a key mechanism for ensuring accountability to the government and to the public, and as a perceived tool to improve standards and outcomes, the inspection of education--and in particular of the post-compulsory sector--has been under-researched. This paper contributes to the field through an exploration of the twin…

This study compared the entry-level word processing enabling skills of 419 graduates from postsecondary schools in Alberta and compared the entry-level skills these individuals were taught with the enabling skills they were using within one year of employment. (JOW)

Presents a mathematical model concerning the implicit risks to employers and employees of investing in on-the-job training (OJT). Suggests how to reduce OJT risks through "training insurance," where risks are pooled among employers and employees, and discusses more efficient contracts, losses due to layoffs, and OJT technology improvement.…

This working paper serves as a preview of the second in a series of four policy briefs that will explore the nexus between postsecondary education and workforce development. The completed policy brief will focus on a number of questions about California's workforce and examine economic and workforce trends in California, including projected…

Research into writing anxiety is an off-shoot of research into oral communication anxiety. At first, researchers thought that people with high oral communication anxiety tended to compensate by writing. However, when the Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Test was used, it was found that the link between oral and written anxiety did not exist. The…

This booklet describes how an apprenticeship program can be established in any industry and for any occupation requiring skills that take one or more years to learn. Topics covered briefly in the booklet include the following: how an apprenticeship program is started, recommended minimum standards, basic provisions, on-the-job instruction, and…

Knowledge can be taught effectively in the classroom, but skills can best be learned by on-the-job coaching. Coaching is a cost-effective way to reinforce new behaviors and skills until the skill feels more natural and begins to result in better performance. (SK)

According to data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1986-1990, length of training did not affect wages; company training, seminars outside of work, and vocational schools were associated with higher wages. Apprenticeships, business schools, and correspondence courses had no apparent impact on wage levels or change in wages over the…

This booklet contains Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training requirements, excerpted from OSHA standards. The booklet is designed to help employers, safety and health professionals, training directors, and others who need to know training requirements. (Requirements for posting information, warning signs, labels, and the…

Increasingly jobs that pay more than subsistence wages and offer opportunities for career advancement require at least some training beyond high school, even at the entry level. Bridge training programs are designed to prepare individuals without the requisite basic skills for postsecondary training leading to career-path employment and further…