Research conducted by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), Fab Foundation and FHI 360, in partnership with more than 150 national and international experts and leaders from 28 states, found that to prepare their future workforces, governors and state leaders must develop a comprehensive agenda made up of three…

Discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to needs assessment is followed by a description of the five phases of the flexible composite needs assessment approach, START (Systematic Technique for Assessing Resources and Training/Development) for developing training programs within various types of organizations. (EAO)

To employ scarce personnel and money to best advantage, company management must diagnose critical training needs and assign them priorities. A systems approach is recommended, which gives focus to training design while accommodating most organization training goals. Included are suggestions for system design, facility management, and cost…

An examination of the origin and content of general systems theory is followed by identification of the major characteristics of systems and brief discussion of use of models. Two ways of applying a systems model are identified and their appropriateness is assessed in relation to particular training circumstances. (55 references). (Author/MBR)

The Northwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center's "wood cluster initiative" illustrates the benefits of rural business clusters. The initiative is turning a loose grouping of timber and forest-product firms into a competitive system by providing technical assistance, helping businesses plan and conduct job training programs,…

The United States Army, confronted with sophisticated defense machinery and entry level soldiers with low educational backgrounds, selected a systems approach to training that was developed in 1975 by Florida State University. Instructional Systems Development (IDS), a five-phase process encompassing the entire educational environment, is…

The Training Development Group of Barclays Bank (United Kingdom) was formed in 1989 to design cost effective training for the banks employees. Describes the bank's "systems approach" to training design: the training needs analysis, identification of performance competences, determination of behavioral objectives, selection of…

This paper provides an overview of MDC's Connecting People to Jobs program, which uses a partnership approach to move people into living-wage jobs. The paper includes lessons learned and recommendations for grantmakers. (Contains 11 footnotes.)

Since its beginning in 1965, the Job Corps has enrolled more than a million impoverished and undereducated 16- to 21-year-olds in an intensive program of re-education and job skills training. The Job Corps' basic education program uses the systems approach to instruction in reading, mathematics, and high school equivalency subjects; and…

The rapidity with which information processing equipment is changing has necessitated the development of business and office occupations curricula with a more generalized approach to the technology of information processing. Educational planners should use a systems approach rather than the more traditional components approach to develop curricula…

Project SCORE (School and Community Offering Resources for Employment) was undertaken by Collin County Community College in Texas to develop a system to help McKinney High School students move with confidence from school to work and further education. The program, which was developed through the joint efforts of school and business/industry…

The Workforce Investment Act represents a total customer-driven overhaul of the U.S. job training system that will help employers obtain needed workers and empower job seekers to obtain the training needed for the jobs they want. The Department of Labor will implement the Workforce Investment Act in cooperation with the Department of Education.…

This document presents an overview of the systems and procedures in place for certifying vocational qualifications in the Netherlands. Chapter 1 describes the following components of the Dutch education system: primary and special education; first phase of secondary education; second phase of secondary education; higher education; adult education;…

This compendium, which is intended as a resource for state and local policymakers and practitioners to use in addressing work force development issues in their states, describes successful projects based on various work force development strategies in the areas of collaboration, empowerment, and systematic change. Some of the models included were…

Intended primarily for directors of occupational education in large cities, this document presents suggested guidelines for the development of a comprehensive occupational education system (COES) based upon the COER (Comprehensive Occupation Education Research) Project model developed in New York City. After describing the background, objectives,…