The research summarized in this report was stimulated by the need for an objective, standardized measure of vocational maturity which would provide an empirical referrent for the conceptual terms of vocational development. The instrument constructed for this purpose is the Vocational Development Inventory (VDI), consisting of the Competence Test…

Based on a survey of seventeen Kentucky industries which revealed common problems of the rural worker, this project attempted (1) to design and field test a vocational development program that will increase the knowledge base concerning the economics of industry in the rural vocational student and (2) to design and field test a curriculum…

A replication of a previous study, this research was concerned with determining those characteristics of ninth grade girls which are predictive of high school curriculum selection and of success in a chosen curriculum. Composing the sample for this part of the longitudinal study were 362 girls enrolled in one of Altoona Senior High School's five…

One-third of the waking hours of many Americans is spent at work. The work they do determines to a large extent their self-image, economic security and well being, satisfaction in life, status in the community, contribution to society, and their children's view of work and life in general. Of such importance is work that it should be taught and…

Examination of the impact of gender and academic-risk behavior on the career maturity and competence of 110 rural youth revealed that females were more involved and independent in their career development and that high-risk students were less able to solve career-related problems. Addresses implications for rural career education and vocational…

The Young Adults Employment Supports Project (YES) of Matrix Research Institute (MRI) has been identified as an exemplary school-to-work program that includes students with disabilities. The program serves young persons with serious emotional disorders between the ages of 17-22 throughout Philadelphia who are preparing to exit special education…

As one activity of the Workplace Mentorship study, 75 interviews were conducted in 15 programs to examine 30 mentorships. In each program five persons were interviewed: two mentors, two students, and one program staff person. Students were in eleventh or twelfth grade or recently out of high school. The interviews collected from the three types of…

The study determined whether rural students enrolled in vocational programs which were considered to be exemplary for training disadvantaged youth differed in attitudes related to school and work from similar disadvantaged youth not enrolled in vocational studies. Ranging in age from 15 to 19 years, 115 students from 4 on-going vocational programs…

This study reports on a four-phase program to determine if secondary teachers, through a range of disciplines, can be made agents of manpower-economic information dissemination and attitudinal change. Four major hypotheses were tested in the program with these results: (1) pupils of teachers participating in the World of Work Economic Education…

One of the new dimensions of vocational and career counseling is the recognition of the continuity in careers. Despite periods of unemployment and despite a radical change of occupations, the person having these experiences of change is still the same person. Although a career involves the life pursuits of a person, there are several differing…

This document describes 32 recently developed career assessment instruments that have been deemed useful for school-to-work programs. The following instruments are among those profiled: Ability Explorer; Adult Measure of Essential Skills; Aptitude Interest Inventory; Ashland Interest Assessment; Barriers to Employment Success Inventory; Basic…

An impact analysis of the Vocational Opinion Index Transition System (VOITS) was conducted by studying the first six months of its implementation at a Minneapolis vocational training center. (The VOITS program provides skills training personnel with an early diagnosis of an individual's "Job Readiness Posture" and guidelines for the…

This instructor guide accompanies the program guide and five competency booklets in the Job Search Skills package. (These other materials are available separately as CE 031 966-971.) It describes the Job Search Skills training program which is individualized and can be operated on an open-entry, open-exit basis, and lists the competencies, tasks,…

The purpose of this study was to compare the career maturity, self concept, and academic achievement of female students enrolled in intensive business training (IBT), cooperative vocational office training (CVOT), and regular business education programs. A sample of 240 students, equalized into three groups on the basis of IQ scores, were given…

This project report includes a brief narrative, the model placement and followup system developed for statewide implementation in vocational education programs, and an employer survey. The guide for the establishment and operation of a school-based placement and followup system is divided into two sections: general information and operational…