Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) deliver specialist vocational provision with a focus on increasing learner numbers at Level 3. They aim to produce skilled and appropriately qualified workers to meet the needs of the economy by enhancing the skills and careers of those already in work, the employability of new entrants to the labor …

Project Build is an eight-week course in construction industry basics for unemployed residents of the neighborhoods surrounding The Ohio State University. Developing curriculum for Project Build revealed that existing training materials in the construction industry focus on technical skills. Extensive conversations with industry experts about…

This digest contains three articles on gender equity in vocational education, especially in relation to the provisions of the Vocational Education Act of 1976 and the Carl Perkins Act of 1984. "Gender Equity in Vocational Education" (Debra J. Robbin) describes interviews with students at a New England vocational school, in which they reported a…

A project was conducted to design and pilot a scheme for monitoring trade/industry/commerce technological changes and reporting them to Technical and Further Education (TAFE) teachers and authorities. A matrix of information categories was used to facilitate the collection and storage of information relative to technological advancements in the…

This report provides information on trends over the years 1995-98 in the realm of contracts of training in vocational education and training (VET) in Australia's trade industries. Section 1 introduces the report. Section 2 provides a general overview of trends in apprentice and trainee numbers over the period for the major trade occupation…

A 3-year research program on workplace learning was based on action research and involved the gradual implementation of "Work Activity Briefings" every 2 weeks or whenever a major task was to be undertaken at selected construction sites managed by an Australian mining and construction company. The briefings were regular meetings between…

New apprenticeships were introduced to Australia in January 1998 to provide practical training opportunities to a wider range of people than the traditional trade-based apprenticeship system did. The effect of the new apprenticeship initiative on the type of employment-based training being undertaken in Australia was studied by analyzing data from…

This report details Task D (of a seventeen-task project), which identified safety and health concepts, knowledge, and skills included in print and non-print materials designed to develop performance outcomes needed by employers and employees. (The project intends to develop performance-based modularized instructional materials for teaching job…

According to data regarding apprentices and trainees in Australia in 1985-1999, the number of apprentices and trainees in Australia reached a record level of 256,000 in June 1999 (versus 172,800 in 1990). Apprentices and trainees undertaking training at Australian Qualifications Framework level III or higher for more than 2 years accounted for…

This document contains reports on the structures of qualification levels in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom that were commissioned during a study to identify trends and developments in the European Union related to national certification frameworks. Each country report examines the following topics: the history of…