This monograph is comprised of 12 essays related to the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), each of which serves as a generic primer on a topic relevant to work force development staff and researchers nationwide. The essays are "Learning the Language of LMI (Labor Market Information): Basic Labor Market Information Terms and…

To assess the impact of the National Academy Foundation (NAF) career academy (CA) model, a large-scale, multi-site evaluation was undertaken. Survey and interview data on program experiences and postsecondary outcomes were analyzed from nine CA programs. The study used pre-post evaluation of student data, field visits, and written and telephone…

A systems approach to changing labor market performance requires a substantial and enduring commitment to the task of change. A systems reform framework has been developed that is based on a dual-customer approach, with a focus on improving labor market outcomes for both low-income people and their employers. The objective is to change the labor…

Emerging and potential Australian industries were surveyed to identify the skills needed by their current and future workers and to determine how Australia's vocational and training (VET) system can best respond to those skill needs. The study investigated industries emerging from the work of Australia's Co-operative Research Centres program. The…

Perceptions of success in teaching and learning adult literacy in England were examined in a study that included interviews with 30 learners and 10 tutors. The teaching approaches most often cited by the tutors as leading to success were as follows: (1) base tutoring on individual interests; (2) personal and social support for each student; (3)…

Six of the first vocational education (VE) programs to adopt new voluntary national skill standards were studied to identify the opportunities and challenges faced by VE programs adopting the new standards. The VE programs studied were located in high schools in seven cities: Chalmette and Walker, Louisiana; Chicago, Illinois; L'Anse Creuse,…

Australia's accommodation, cafes, and restaurants industry represents more than half of the nation's total tourism and hospitality employment. It accounts for roughly 4.5% of all jobs in Australia (400,000 workers). Since 1987, the number of jobs in the sector has risen from about 257,000 to about 372,000. Approximately 57% of employees are…

Australia's agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry represents about 5% of the nation's total employment and growth in the last 10 years has averaged only about 0.3% per year. In 1996, it was estimated that 4.7% of government-funded training was directed toward this industry. A 1997 employer satisfaction survey indicated that 11% of…

Australia's cultural and recreational services industry encompasses radio and television broadcasting, motion pictures, theatre, music, other performing arts, and sports and services to sports. Only 2.5% of the nation's labor force is employed in the industry. The sector has a particularly high level of part-time employment (over 40%). Employment…

A project aimed to use United Kingdom full-time undergraduate student work experience as the vehicle for development of the students' skills to improve their subsequent employability upon graduation. It took an employer-led approach to develop a model transferable to other employers and higher education (HE) institutions. Arrangements were made…

Since 1996, Arizona has been building a comprehensive statewide system of school-to-work opportunities for students from kindergarten through college, supported by a School-to-Work (STW) implementation grant from the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education. After 3 years, a public opinion poll of a 2,200-person random sample drawn from parents,…

Describes several alternative education programs in Boston and New York City for inner-city youth which provide positive work experiences at various job sites as well as academic credit. Emphasizes the importance of private industry involvement and support in project and individual successes. (MF)

Two McMaster University (Canada) chemical engineering courses enrolling 30-50 students incorporate problem-based learning (PBL). Issues addressed in implementation included overcoming faculty and student resistance, integrating PBL methods within a predominantly conventional curriculum, developing PBL problems and objectives, and using tutorless…

Ireland's program of specific skills training (SST) Objective 1 courses, which are designed to train/retrain the labor force required for implementation of Ireland's Industry and Services Operational Programme, was evaluated by analyzing program expenditure reports and participant profiles, surveying a random sample of 101 employers, and visiting…

Using a review of literature and data collected from worker and employer surveys, a study examined on-the-job training and its implications. Among the factors analyzed were the following: (1) on-the-job training as an investment in human capital; (2) measures of on-the-job training; (3) who receives on-the-job training; (4) how well do we measure…