Numerous countries suffer from a shortage of technicians and skilled workers, particularly in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), due to a mismatch between the skills and interests of the students graduating from or leaving the current education system and the needs of the labor market. Often, parents and students…

Learning situated in authentic settings such as the workplace can provide peer and expert models and a physical environment that enhance problem solving and transfer of learning. In such settings, learners can access the social and cultural aspects of vocational skills. (SK)

Literature describing the scope and characteristics of employer-based training (EBT) in the United States and the evidence to date about the effectiveness of such training was reviewed in order to help categorize the types of programs or strategies that show promise in terms of improving skills or increasing productivity. For the review, training…

A general increase in the demand for workplace basic skills mirrors the general increase in societal basic skills demands. As a result, many adults are participating in second-chance basic skills education. Second-chance basic skills programs are offered by a wide variety of providers, but populations actually served by programs rarely amount to…

Changing employer-based training represents one strategy that U.S. firms are adopting to confront recent transformations in the global economy. The new competitive conditions place new and different demands on workers, more of whom are being called upon to use technical, conceptual, and communications skills. Approaches to training in particular…

Leading-edge firms (LEFs)--at the forefront of their industry in terms of growth or market share--may influence skill development through diffusion of technology, products, or practices and use of market power to set standards or change customer businesses. Study of LEFs can identify the type and mix of skills needed in the industry. LEFs are…

Technological advances necessitate the continuous retraining of the work force. Three technologies are having greatest impact on the labor force: (1) the scope and depth of computer skills required by most jobs continue to expand; (2) robotics in manufacturing means that certain new jobs are more technical and require postsecondary education; and…

This report summarizes the results of a project conducted to document the skills and behaviors that have been identified as essential for a work force facing the challenges of global competition in an environment of rapidly changing markets. The workplace competencies and foundation skills defined in "Skills and Tasks for Jobs: A SCANS…

Research on changes and issues in workplace learning in Australia over the past 6 years was reviewed. Special attention was paid to four topics: importance of learning in the workplace; nature of workplace learning; factors affecting the quality of workplace learning; and recognition of workplace learning. Selected findings were as follows: (1)…