The state of Maryland has recognized the potential for registered apprenticeships both to provide a path to better-paying careers that do not require college degrees and to help employers meet their needs for employees with specialized skills. This report explores opportunities for and challenges to expanding apprenticeship in Maryland and…

The Workforce Investment Act, enacted in 1998, aims to enhance the capacities of the national workforce and improve working conditions. The Act, which funds workforce education, career pathways programs, and other programs typically aimed at assisting low-income and other vulnerable populations, has not been reauthorized since its passage;…

A large number of students enrolling in community colleges do not aspire to or complete the associate degree. Instead, they attend community colleges for a multitude of reasons, including job training or retraining, licensure, preparation for transfer, and avocational pursuits. Given the preponderant pattern of part-time attendance and diversity…

These proceedings consist of the following eight papers: "Vocational Training in Brazil--Aspects of Economic Policy and Planning," by Gustav Schachter "Economic Stabilization and Medium Term Development Strategy in Brazil," by Peter T. Knight; "Training and Development," by Manuel Zymelman; "The Organization of…

This document offers the best available answers to questions frequently asked about vocational education by policymakers in vocational education at the state and local level. It is divided into two sections. The first section contains 15 frequently asked questions about vocational education effects and practices, each of which is followed by a…

A literature review was conducted to examine high school vocational education and its outcomes in Canada. The literature indicated that the initial advantages of a vocational program, including lower unemployment, greater likelihood of obtaining a job related to field of training, and higher salaries than generally available to graduates of…

This paper addresses how to measure the performance of programs by measuring the outcomes of program participation for learners. Based on studies conducted in Tennessee in which adult learners reported a broader and more complex set of outcomes than the three "core indicators" mandated by Title II of the 1998 Workforce Investment Act…

This report details a benefit-cost analysis of the Perry Preschool program and describes the program's long-term effects. Conducted since 1962, research on the Perry Preschool program constitutes one of the strongest and best-known sources of support for the long-term efficacy of early intervention with disadvantaged children. The Perry Project…

A literature review of 132 studies of School-to-Work programs and consultations with the staff of the National School-to-Work Office, researchers, and practitioners in the field drew conclusions about the effectiveness of the School-to-Work initiative. Some of the study's conclusions were the following: (1) School-to-Work students maintain good…

This document contains the testimony and supporting printed evidence presented at an oversight hearing on the reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act. These hearings focused on various aspects of vocational education, including vocational education research, cooperative or worksite education, and vocational education in correctional…

This document, which is part of a toolkit for policymakers, donors, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and practitioners, presents the results of case studies of a group of 30 workforce development programs that were selected (during a 2-day workshop by a panel of 14 experts) as representing a balance among geographic regions served and…