A new 'Work & Skills' initiative is needed for people who are long-term unemployed. Next year there could be between 1 to 1.6 million people who have been out of work for 12 months or more. This could be the highest since the 1980s and will have drastic implications for families and whole communities across the United Kingdom (UK). There needs…

The author describes Adult Preparation Training, a short-term course sponsored by the Manpower Services Commission. The course is designed to help unemployed people find their way into satisfying employment. (Author/CH)

British survey data support the hypothesis that some studies showing job seekers using public employment agencies (PEAs) have longer unemployment spells may be flawed because they ignore the possibility that PEAs are used only after other search methods fail. Variations in the timing of PEA use should be taken into account in research. (SK)

This document, which was developed after an extensive literature review and study of the United Kingdom's labor market and job search methods, is intended to be a tool for Employment Service personnel assisting unemployed job seekers. First, the following aspects of the job search environment are considered: occupational labor markets and…

The effectiveness of Training for Work, which is the United Kingdom's main public program for helping long-term unemployed adults find jobs, was examined through interviews with training managers in 8 training and enterprise councils (TECs), 53 training providers, and 374 individuals who had joined Training for Work in spring/summer 1993 and left…

This guide, which is intended for adults in the United Kingdom, contains information about the educational and employment opportunities available to them. The following topics are discussed in the guide's 11 sections: assessing one's own learning skills and identifying available learning opportunities; locating sources of educational and career…