Ethnographic methods have been proposed as one alternative to research based heavily on statistics and experimental design. Ethnography essentially means "a way of systematically learning reality from the point of view of the participant." Four features distinguish ethnographic research from other research methods: (1) the research is considered…

This workbook is intended to teach disadvantaged, handicapped, or "hard-core" unemployed persons to find their own jobs. Although the book is designed for a self-study approach, it is important that a trainer/instructor/vocational counselor be available for assistance. The eight chapters cover (1) Employer Expectations (appearance,…

Adult Americans have been participating in formal education and training programs in record numbers in recent years. Yet studies of participation by working Americans in tuition assistance programs have consistently revealed that few take advantage of them. This report describes and analyzes the Kimberly-Clark Corporation's tuition-assistance…

A series of roundtable discussions, designed to bring together employers and educators in small and informal sessions to discuss youth employment and related issues, was held in Birmingham, Hartford, Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago. The discussions yielded policy implications in five major areas. These are access to the private sector,…

A study was conducted in six south central Mississippi counties (1) to determine the incidence of part-time employment of in-school youth by age, grade, sex, and race; (2) to determine types of part-time jobs held by youths while in public school and their available work experience alternatives; (3) to obtain employed youth and their parents'…

To examine the feasibility of introducing a program of cooperative education at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), a task force assessed the problems encountered by other institutions which have introduced cooperative education. Attention was given to the support that might be expected for cooperative education among students,…

An evaluation of the final year of the Lincoln, Nebraska, public schools experience-based career education (EBCE) program focused on three major components: student outcomes, parent evaluation, and community sites. The Career Maturity Inventory (CMI), the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (IAR), and a locally developed survey…

RESULTS OF UNSTRUCTURED SMALL GROUP INTERVIEWS WITH 78 FORMER CORPSMEN AND 10 COWORKERS AND INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS WITH 33 OF THEIR EMPLOYERS IN NEW YORK, CHICAGO, HOUSTON, AND SAN FRANCISCO WERE ANALYZED TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEMS THAT CONFRONT JOB CORPSMEN WHO HAVE COMPLETED THEIR TRAINING. RESPONSES WERE CODED, TABULATED, AND SUBJECTED TO…

The purpose of this needs assessment study was to demonstrate the need for a comprehensive career and vocational guidance and counseling plan in West Virginia. Survey instruments adapted from a number of existing instruments which pertain to career and vocational education and counseling were administered in forty-nine of fifty-five counties.…

An evaluation was conducted of the fourth year of Project Future, implemented in the Bremerton (Washington) School District. The project objective was to provide pilot class students at four grade levels (grades 3, 6, 9, and 12) with career education learning experiences which used commercial and teacher created classroom activities and materials,…

This needs assessment study obtained data from several groups of Pinal County residents to aid the Board and administrators of the Arizona College of Technology (ACT) in meeting the educational needs of county residents. Survey instruments were designed and distributed among high school students, current and former ACT students, local residents…

The training being provided to low-wage workers, factors affecting the availability and effectiveness of such training, and training outcomes were examined. The major research activities were as follows: (1) identification of 192 employers that invested most heavily in training for low-wage workers; (2) telephone interviews with 40 of the 192…

Workplace literacy was the focus of attention during the era of the National Workplace Literacy Program (NWLP), funded by the U.S. Department of Education from 1988-1996. Since then, it has not disappeared, in part because recent legislation such as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and Welfare Reform Act has increased the work-related focus of…

Curriculum analysis of the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Visiting (ENB) critical care programs ENB 100, 124, 176/183, 199, and 415 revealed great diversity in programs bearing the same title. An evaluation identified if this diversity was reflected in the competencies acquired by students on different programs,…

This monograph, written for persons interested in promoting company-funded workplace basic skills programs, addresses the following 13 key issues: (1) companies' rationale for investing in workers' basic skills; (2) the factors that need to be in place for a workplace basic skills program to be adopted; (3) who in the company makes the decision to…