As part of a multiphase study of Job Corps vocational education offerings and outcomes during fiscal year 1982, a study examined Job Corps efforts and procedures for identifying high growth occupations. Using input from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, researchers identified high growth occupations for which the Job Corps is either currently…

National priorities exist that can be served through federal legislation for the funding of vocational education. Four alternatives that are examples of national needs that vocational education would appear to have a potential to address are (1) training and retraining of workers in national critical skill shortage occupations, (2) training and…

During the last decade, the manufacture of commodities has become increasingly simple, and as a result, has increasingly been exported from the United States to low-wage regions of the world. On the other hand, the U.S. economy has become increasingly service oriented, with service-sector jobs growing rapidly while manufacturing jobs decline. In…

A study identified the gaps between supply and demand for training in Washington State and recommended strategies for reducing them. The study considered the perspectives of both employers and workers and separately analyzed the needs of three groups: youth, adults, and adults with barriers to employment. The study found the following: (1) there…

This project sought to develop a model that could be used to gather information on employer and student needs in Mesa County and Western Colorado in order to enhance and validate vocational education offerings. To meet the objectives of the study, a comprehensive review of literature regarding existing models and/or programs, along with numerous…

A theory of vocational education and training (VET) somewhat different than that currently accepted is a set of beliefs about the purpose, practices, and principles associated with producing occupational competence. VET institutions need to be aware of and responsive to work force requirements. An analysis of information about current and future…

The Technology Partnership Organization (TPO) is one of 24 Quality Work Force Planning (QWFP) entities in Texas. The TPO met its objectives through a variety of activities, including the following: (1) establishing a QWFP committee for the region; (2) providing an inventory of key regional industries with the greatest job opening potential and…

This study was conducted to identify emerging jobs in vocational agriculture in Texas. Two job survey booklets were constructed and used to collect job information from 2,000 agribusinesses and 1,600 vocational agriculture teachers in Texas. They were asked to identify jobs that were new and emerging. These jobs were further investigated to…

As part of a multiphased evaluation of vocational training provided by the Job Corps in fiscal year 1982, a study examined the approach used by the Job Corps toward geographic distribution of courses and training delivery. Because 14 occupations accounted for over one-half of the training analyzed in this study, the researchers recommended that…

A survey of 501 Wisconsin firms (260 responses) assessed the impact of changes in demand, productivity, and technology on the employment needs and training requirements of Wisconsin employers in 10 selected economic sectors. Major findings included the following: (1) Wisconsin's services sector has recently experienced major employment growth and…

These 19 papers from the second annual Policy Forum on Employability Development explore the responsiveness of various educational and training institutions to changing labor market demands. The first three papers provide an overview of the forum. They summarize the proceedings and policy considerations and address how vocational education and…

A review was conducted of the clusters used to organize the delivery of secondary vocational education in Oregon. The review focused on issues related to Oregon's current and projected labor market needs, national occupational and industrial trends, and the common skills and competencies that form the basis for organizing occupations and training…

This handbook is designed to help vocational educators identify changes in the labor market and to incorporate these changes quickly and effectively into their curricula. It guides teachers and administrators through the major steps in developing competency-based curricula for new and emerging occupations--i.e., (1) to identify new and emerging…

This book outlines why the skills of the U.S. workforce have become the single most important factor in the competitiveness, not only of individual companies, but of national economies. It documents the widening gap between the need for highly skilled workers and their availability, and it points out the chilling consequences that may occur if the…

Impacts from the major high technological changes now underway cut across all industrial sectors and most occupational clusters. Technological innovation can increase or decrease the total number of types of jobs. Decline in employment may be offset, however, by new applications and capabilities of goods and services or by employment shifts. While…