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…

A study explored the results of programs designed to move women into traditionally male jobs (both managerial and blue collar) in ten public utility companies. The focus of the study was on the experiences of 164 women in such jobs and on the attitudes of their supervisors, male peers, and subordinates toward the companies' attempts to overcome…

An experimental and demonstration project was conducted over a five-year period in California to test the concept of lay-off time training to enable workers to qualify for promotion and increase their earnings. The canning industry was found to be a suitable area for this type of training since it had annual lay-offs followed by assured recalls to…

This document contains two papers from a symposium on learning on the job. "Professional Crisis Workers: Impact of Repeated Exposure to Human Pain and Destructiveness" (Lynn Atkinson-Tovar) examines the following topics: (1) the secondary and vicarious traumatic stress disorder that affects many professional crisis workers who are…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on self-directed learning and self-management. "Validating a More-Dimensional Conception of Self-Directed Learning" (Gerald A. Straka, Cornelia Schaefer) discusses the development and validation of a conception of self-directed learning as a dynamic interplay between behavior,…

In this report, learning conditions in Norwegian workplaces were examined to identify ways of making workplaces more conducive to learning. Data were collected through interviews in 11 firms and a questionnaire survey of 1,300 private sector and 200 public sector employees. Opportunities to learn through work varied widely. Older women with little…

In this report, community education training in Scotland was reviewed to identify ways of improving the education and training provided to current and future community educators. Data were gathered from 16 separate sources, including users of community education, community education experts, employers, recent graduates from training, training…

The changing skill needs being experienced by small European firms because of increasing internationalization were examined in a survey of owners/managers and employees of 85 small manufacturing businesses in Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, and the United Kingdom and case studies of an additional 16 businesses that have…

Indiana's youth workers are highly motivated, well-educated, experienced, and satisfied with their jobs. They cite these three top challenges of their jobs: funds, family support, and sufficient staff to share time-consuming duties. Researchers cite these key components to develop first-rate programs that meet youth needs: low staff-student ratio,…

In January 1995, a private research firm conducted the first year of a 5-year evaluation of tech prep (TP) in Ohio. State- and consortium-level baseline data about the following were collected: state policies/practices for TP; role of consortia in TP; professional development of instructors/administrators for TP; selected groups'…

Work and learning in microenterprises in the car repair industries of four European Community (EC) countries were examined through 21 case studies of firms with 10 or fewer employees (6 firms in Ireland and 5 each in Greece, the Netherlands, and Spain). Structured interviews were conducted with each firm's owner and 60 motor vehicle mechanics at…

Work and learning in microenterprises in the printing industries of four European Community (EC) countries were examined through 17 case studies of firms with 10 or fewer employees (5 firms in Finland and 4 each in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain). Structured interviews were conducted with each firm's owner and a total of 90 staff at the 17…