The debates between vocational/technical training and education are getting old. On one side, we have academics arguing for the timelessness of an education--learning that is not specifically tailored toward work or "the what." On the other side, there are employers retreating more and more from training candidates--and blaming…

Tectonic changes are reshaping U.S. workplaces as the economy moves deeper into the knowledge-focused age. These changes are affecting the very nature of jobs by rewarding social, communications and analytical skills. They are prodding many workers to think about lifetime commitments to retraining and upgrading their skills. And they may be…

Grades are broken. Students grub for them, pick classes where good ones come easily, and otherwise hustle to win the highest scores for the least learning. As a result, college grades are inflated to the point of meaninglessness--especially to employers who want to know which diploma-holder is best qualified for their jobs. An alternative is to…

Foreign countries find industrialized construction accelerates building and reduces costs but creates problems as well. (Editor)

A study of the software industry, in which required skills change rapidly and skills shortages frequently occur, showed how work projects were designed with restricted opportunities for workers to acquire new skills. Skill development was not valued by management. The industry may thus be abetting its own skills shortage. (SK)

A study indicated that the modern manager either lacks the skills basic to effective dictation or the confidence to exercise them. A primary objective in business courses would be to establish dictation as a desired complement to management competencies and skills. Without managers who can dictate, the training of secretaries to take dictation has…

The author looks at the Canadian short-term employment model and then examines characteristics of the Japanese employment model (recruitment methods, matching rewards to performance and investment, dealing with skill obsolescence and aging, and the advantages of Japan's long-term model). (CT)

Implications for universities of high technology industries and the labor market are unclear. There is a need to ease the transition for those categories of workers who will be affected: women, low- and medium-skill workers in manufacturing, and certain categories of middle-level managers. The provision of highly qualified personnel is the…

During the next two decades, vocational education will face a major challenge to keep up to date with technology. National crises usually lead to new technologies. The United States today faces major problems in the areas of energy, productivity, and foreign trade. Solutions to these problems will generate new knowledge and technology that will…

The eight articles in this theme issue of CEDEFOP's twice-yearly multi-lingual bulletin focus on continuing education to maintain and upgrade the workforce. "Force--The Community's Action Programme for the Continuing Training in the 1990s" describes the objectives of this new program to improve the skill levels of the European…

Technological advances necessitate the continuous retraining of the work force. Three technologies are having greatest impact on the labor force: (1) the scope and depth of computer skills required by most jobs continue to expand; (2) robotics in manufacturing means that certain new jobs are more technical and require postsecondary education; and…

A study examined management perspectives on retraining workers and educational alternatives for such training. During the study, more than 300 senior human resource executives from Fortune 1500 firms across the nation were interviewed by telephone. Of those interviewed, 84 percent felt that their workers are concerned about such issues as: losing…

This report presents evidence regarding skill shortages in the electrotechnology trades in Australia that was gathered by an industry-led working group. The report provides data concerning the following aspects of the problem: (1) the demand for skills in the electrotechnology trades (employment levels, growth, and prospects); (2) the supply of…