This article addresses assumptions that currently guide personnel training and technical assistance in organizations providing services to people with disabilities. Implications of a quality improvement perspective are then considered as they apply to new perspectives on roles, on decision-making processes, and on evaluation. (DB)

Examines the use of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methods for the design, development, and delivery of courses and programs through distance education. Topics discussed include problems in implementing QFD; implementation of QFD in training design; and QFD's contribution to service quality improvement in distance education. (Contains 28…

Lists reasons why people shy away from trainer recertification programs, benefits of attending such programs, and considerations that users and purchasers of training programs might keep in mind in order to get the best quality programs and service from their vendors. (CT)

To ensure significant improvement in individual and organizational managerial effectiveness, the design and implementation of soft-skill management development programs need to address the six factors leading to change resistance and the five critical elements that contribute to success. These factors and elements are discussed in detail. (CT)

Nine reasons that training programs do not succeed (for example, limited training resources, reasons for training unclear, critical nontraining factors ignored, management support is lacking, role of supervisor not recognized, little preparation or followup) and five training success factors (value, focus, power, mass, duration) are presented. (CT)

Steps in a small business analysis are discussed: understand how company activities interact internally and with markets and suppliers; know the relative importance of controllable management variables; understand the social atmosphere within the company; analyze the operations of the company; define main problem areas; identify possible actions…

This article is the first of a series of three in which the authors share the results of their field studies on industrial training. Among the sources of ineffectiveness and inefficiency of training efforts are training given despite no real deficiency, wrong choice of expectations, training as panacea, and training too soon or too late. (CT)

Whether an organization has its own facilities and programs to teach people to perform the jobs necessary to accomplish its purpose, or sends its prospective employees to schools outside its own confines to receive that training, occupational education and training is big business. One problem with occupational training programs is that such…

An important first step in addressing the issue of obtaining a better fit between unemployment insurance (UI) and retraining was taken in 1970 when the federal government enacted a provision permitting workers to enroll in training without denial of benefits due to application of the work test. Little was done, however, to pursue state compliance…

Ten case studies of collaborative arrangements between postsecondary vocational education institutions and companies manufacturing or using advanced technologies are reported in this document. The intention is to explore exemplary approaches to planning, developing, and implementing training programs for technicians in rapidly changing…

Describes the Quality Improvement Program developed by Florida Power and Light's Nuclear Training organization that was awarded the Deming Application Prize for quality control. Training quality, team activities, training's role in business planning, customer involvement and evaluation, and continuous improvement of training are discussed. (LRW)

In order to help postsecondary technical colleges to keep abreast of changing technology, a study was conducted (1) to investigate the current and future status of three high technology areas in terms of their impacts on occupations, labor demand, and training requirements; and (2) to provide guidelines to help colleges change their programs to…

In this article, authors Deborah Helsing, Annie Howell, Robert Kegan, and Lisa Lahey argue that today's educational leaders face a host of complex demands as they strive to implement lasting, meaningful change in their school environments. As these demands often require a level of personal development many adults may not yet have, there is a need…

Discussion of instruction and training to introduce new ideas and to improve performance focuses on the presence of conflict and the theory of games. Topics discussed include learner participation; Theory X; Theory Y; and Theory Z; and game rules, including control, scoring, changing rules, and ending the game. (25 references) (LRW)

Youth development lies at the heart of the Workforce Investment Act and the Youth Opportunity Movement. Like employment training programs for adults, employment training programs for youth should focus on acquisition of skills, gainful employment, and productive citizenship. Beyond these three characteristics, it is essential that programs for…