This document contains three papers from a symposium on technological change and human resource development. "New Technologies, Cognitive Demands, and the Implications for Learning Theory" (Richard J. Torraco) identifies four specific characteristics of the tasks involved in using new technologies (contingent versus deterministic tasks,…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on different ways of learning. "How Engineers Learn in the Face of Organizational Change" (Robert Reardon) reports on a qualitative study during which nine engineers described how they learned to perform their altered roles after a major reorganization. The study findings supported…

These four papers are from a symposium on evaluation in human resource development (HRD). "Assessing Organizational Readiness for Learning through Evaluative Inquiry" (Hallie Preskill, Rosalie T. Torres) reviews how evaluative inquiry can facilitate organizational learning; argues HRD evaluation should be reconceptualized as a process…

A study examined adults' attitudes and experience related to work and the selection of a career or job. Data were gathered through a telephone survey of a sample of 1,003 adults (659 employed either full- or part-time), 18 years of age and older, conducted in June and July 1999. The following areas were explored: current employment status; the…

Employer and employee perceptions of the skills and abilities needed by college graduates in a changing workplace were examined through semistructured, in-depth interviews with a sample of 84 strategic managers, 84 college graduates, and 35 nongraduate employees in 91 organizations across England and Scotland that represented a mix of organization…

One of a series of secondary level units on business issues, this packet focuses on the relationship between business and young employees. The packet contains a teacher's guide and a student activity section. Within the teacher's guide, an overview of activities, objectives, and time frame precedes summaries of five daily lesson plans. Also…

A project was conducted to identify skills that vocational students will need to adapt to future changes in the workplace and jobs caused by advancing technology as well as to develop policy stands on how those skills can be imparted. Research was conducted through computer searches of relevant data bases, interviews with vocational educators and…

A two-phase study was conducted to determine the habits, attitudes, and values that industry and education consider desirable and important for workers. In phase I a computer search revealed sixty-three such affective work competencies which were then categorized into fifteen clusters. To objectively quantify each of the clusters, an evaluation…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on life-affirming work and social justice that was conducted as part of a conference on human resource development (HRD). "Doing Good or Doing Well? A Counter-story of Continuing Professional Education (CPE)" (Laurel Jeris, Linda Armacost) reports on an exploratory study in which a…

A survey of 205 people, 4 group interviews with approximately 30 people, and 6 design and analysis meetings involving approximately 40 people were conducted in a 1999 participatory study of contingent workers in Toronto. (Contingent work was defined to be lower-waged forms of non-permanent work arrangements that include contracting, employment…

The definition of work has undergone a massive transition within the last decade, and this trend has major implications for vocational education. Earlier ideas of work included that it was full-time, permanent, and for life; in addition, work provided opportunities for career development, a clearly-defined employer-worker relationship, and clear…

The quality of jobs in nonprofit organizations in Canada was examined through a review of data from Canada's Workplace and Employer Survey, which collected data from a nationally representative sample of Canadian workplaces and paid employees in those workplaces. Key findings of the analysis were as follows: (1) overall, compared to the for-profit…

The capabilities expected of technological workers upon entry into employment were examined. Data were collected through a review of the pertinent literature and an in-person, instrument-guided interview survey of a representative sample of representatives of approximately 250 manufacturing enterprises in nine sectors. The literature review…

These proceedings consist of 18 papers from a conference to provide researchers and practitioners with a forum for sharing research findings that focus on the link between research and practice in adult, continuing, and community education. The five invited papers are as follows: "Towards a Pedagogy of Ethical Coercion" (Ian Baptiste);…

This unit, one in a series of packets of teacher and student materials for cooperative occupational education (COE) designed for special needs students, presents students with a brief introduction to federal laws that protect workers' rights. Emphasis is placed on the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and the Civil Rights…