Economic competitiveness is today's most critical issue. Keeping the United States competitive in the world marketplace means the difference between a rising standard of living for everyone and the disappearance of what is taken for granted as a way of life. Developing human capital is the route toward successful competition, as some examples…

With the aging of the U.S. population, fewer younger workers are available to join the work force. Therefore, if economic growth is to be sustained, more older workers must remain in the work force or rejoin it. Some policies have been enacted to promote the employment of older workers. They include the prohibition of age discrimination and the…

Canada has traditionally supported a high level of unemployment benefits and retraining programs for its displaced workers. From the 1960s onward, legislation and attitudes in the business community have been geared toward retraining of workers for high-tech workplaces and the replacement of low-skill jobs with high-skill jobs. With increased…

Worker displacement is a priority human resource issue that must be resolved to improve economic productivity, to further revitalize the American economy, and to cope with growing international competition. The work force and work place of the 1980s are undergoing changes that could result in ever larger scale joblessness. These changes include…

The need for a national policy for the development and use of human resources is evident. One part of the human resource development issue centers around the needs of adult workers who are unemployed or threatended with unemployment because of structural changes in the labor market. The issue of retraining adult workers was examined in detail in…

A digital divide, a chasm between those with access to technology and training, particularly workplace information technology (IT) skills and those without, threatens the economic prosperity of American workers and America's competitiveness. The most effective way to reduce digital disparities is to improve the education and training of the…

This issue reproduces articles adapted from country reports presented to a Regional Seminar on Adult Education and Development in Asia and Oceania, Bangkok, November 1980. A summary of adult and nonformal education in the region forms section 1. Highlights of the country articles in section 2 include Afghanistan--national literacy campaign;…

This paper addresses the extent to which retraining and training programs are available for employed and unemployed adults. First, demographic and economic shifts and projections into the next century are discussed as the context for needed training. Second, the promise and positive impacts of new technologies in office and business settings are…

The explosive technological advances of recent years have created a need to incorporate technical education into curricula at all levels from elementary through and including higher education. This in turn has led to the necessity of articulation among the various levels of technical education, including articulation between postsecondary…

Technological, demographic, and competitive pressures have transformed the U.S. labor market and must be dealt with on a priority basis. The urgency of the problem can best be addressed by creating a national institution that is independent of government, business, and labor but that draws on all three sectors to develop a broad array of policies…