Skills have long been associated with productivity and economic well-being. A large body of evidence shows the value of academic and technical skills in the workplace. And in recent years, soft skills--skills that make for an effective employee, such as time management and communication--have also become increasingly valued in the workplace.…

The purpose of this research was to identify a well-defined, comprehensive portrait of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) expected of students graduating from baccalaureate institutions conferring four-year degrees in hospitality management and further, to utilize those KSAs as foundations for curriculum development. This study provided a…

The purpose of this case study was to explore how low-skilled workers who participated in a health care training program learned to acquire the technical, cognitive, and developmental competencies they needed to gain skilled employment in higher-level positions in the field and thus advance their careers. The data methods used were: (1) in-depth…

The authors discuss skills required by human resources development (HRD) professionals to act in the capacity of an in-house consultant. They provide a self-assessment tool to identify skills that must be acquired or sharpened. (Author/CH)

This document contains three papers on human resource development (HRD) and trust in organizations. "Organizational Trust: An Orientation for the HRD Practitioner" (Christina L. Lafferty, Brad D. Lafferty) reviews research on organizational trust that was conducted with a focus on cognitive-based theories, affect-based theories, and…

This publication describes four highly regarded workforce development programs, concentrating on how they cultivate emotional intelligence--how they prepare trainees for the cultural demands of the workplace. Section 1 describes how ACHIEVE, Cabrillo Community College, Watsonville, California (CA) teaches business dress, skills and culture in two…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on transfer of learning. "The Effect of a Mastery Practice Design on Learning and Transfer in Behavior Modeling Training of Supervisory Listening Skills" (Gary L. May) reports on a case-control study that drew from research in the cognitive sciences on complex skill acquisition to create a…

Descriptive data were collected on 45 workplace literacy partnerships during a national evaluation of the effectiveness of workplace literacy programs (WPL) funded by the National Workplace Literacy Program. Findings indicated the following: on average, partnerships consisted of 8 partners; about 60 percent were business or industry; 20 percent…

Seven job-related basic skills identified as skills employers want are as follows: (1) learning to learn; (2) reading, writing, and computation; (3) oral communication and listening; (4) creative thinking and problem solving; (5) personal management, including self-esteem, goal setting, motivation, and personal and career development; (6) group…

This publication is a reference document meant to accompany other National Skill Standards Board (NSSB) publications that describe the development of skill standards, including Built to Work: A Common Framework for Skill Standards. This companion guide provides the NSSB Complexity Rating Skill Scales. Chapter 1 explains briefly how this tool fits…

Economic changes create stress as U.S. businesses progress toward building a high quality work force for the year 2000. Skills such as critical literacy, communication, writing, math, and interpersonal competence are desired. Critical literacy involves the higher order thinking skills: the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize. In addition,…

Educational activities sponsored by business, industry, and various levels of government, including the military (BIGM), in California are briefly reported. Much that is being offered through courses and services by postsecondary educational institutions is also being provided through BIGM training activities, and there are areas of cooperation…

This document, a result of a 3-year study, gives step-by-step instructions for establishing and implementing a program to teach the basic skills necessary in the workplace. The resulting programs use the applied approach that motivates learners by linking learning to improved job performance. The document is intended for practitioners and…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on emotion and behavior in the workplace that was conducted as part of a conference on human resource development (HRD). "Emotion Work, and Perceptions of Affective Culture in a Military Nonprofit Organization" (Jamie L. Callahan, David R. Schwandt) reports on a study of the emotion…

Foremost among efforts over the last decade to improve the work-related skills required of all young people to meet the demands of American's workplaces was the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills Commission (SCANS). Integral to SCANS were its three-part foundation (basic skills, thinking skills, and personal qualities) and these…