Education, skills, and the development of an African workforce are at a critical moment. While it is recognized that Chinese firms hire local people, the focus of the debate is more on the position and opportunities for training and advancement. As such, the paper tries to answer the following questions. Does China really contribute to skills…

The increased complexity of today's work environment has made the need for soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, leadership, and problem solving, more salient than ever. Employers hire for these skills because it is increasingly the human resources that give organizations a competitive advantage. Therefore, academia must respond to these…

The world is undergoing a major transformation that requires new skills and qualifications, new ways for people to know about skills and qualifications, and new ways to acquire skills and qualifications. This toolkit is about skills and qualifications, and the benefits they provide for people in a changing environment. It focuses specifically on…

The U.S. energy sector has become highly innovative in developing and applying new technologies. These innovations often require higher-paid, more-highly skilled labor, yet many employers in the region report that they have difficulty filling jobs, particularly for medium-skilled (or semi skilled) positions that require only a high school…

High literacy and numeracy demands in career and technical education (CTE) compared to low skill levels among many students prompted calls for academic infusion into training curricula. Research on CTE academic curriculum integration implicitly assumes that students' reading and math skills are like those described by models of typical academic…

This research paper was developed after completing and publishing articles using the Balanced Scorecard as a means of achieving strategic objectives of over twenty destination ski resorts. We believe the balanced scorecard idea is essentially a new model of the way the world works and should be conceptualized. Our research has helped answer a…

Discusses the transition from school to work via what is currently being done by many school counselors and other professionals, and why this assistance for an increasing number of youth has proved ineffective. Outlines some of the underlying basic causes of this transition problem and proposes an alternate approach. (CT)

Australian implementation of competency-based training fails to recognize that mere competency statements are inadequate as a basis for teaching. Many vocational teachers lack sufficient background in psychology for successful implementation. Good curriculum documents can help by incorporating key research on skill learning, transfer, expertise,…

The major negative factor to the full integration of televised instruction into the educational system has always been cost, either because of the initial investment or the time required to develop courseware. Resistance to change has always been and continues to be the greatest barrier to the use of all technologies in education. Countless…

Industry-school partnerships are needed to help students, especially urban youth, become acquainted with the realities of preparing for employment and with the processes of finding a job, staying employed, and moving on through training to improved productivity and earning power. This report suggests considerations for organizing such partnerships…

The focus of this conference workplace literacy in the South is the need for cooperation and collaboration among policy-makers, business and industry, labor, and education providers. The document contains nine presentations: "What Frito-Lay Has Done in Workplace Literacy" (Mossberg); "The Need for a Literate Workforce in the…

A study surveyed 44 skills centers in The Gambia through a questionnaire, evaluated them regarding vocational training, and conducted on-site research of 17 targeted centers. Findings were as follows: most operated as private organizations; the retention rate was an average of 84%; centers operated with an average student/staff ratio of about 12:1…

Intended for school administrators, educators, and the lay public, this publication describes five innovative and effective vocational education programs developed with support from the U.S. Office of Education in response to a local problem. The programs, each requiring the coordinated effort of community groups and leaders are: (1) Industrial…

"Look into the Future" is a program created by a Job Training Partnership Act project and 9to5, Working Women Education Fund, to address the training and retraining needs of office workers in light of the advances in computer and communications systems. This guide describes the model project and suggests steps other organizations can…

Fishing Industry Specialization, or FINS, is a 2-year alternative education program designed in 1979 by the LaConner (Washington) School District to encourage high school completion by students wanting to enter the fishing industry. With encouragement from the Swinomish Indian Tribe and help from an active citizens advisory board, school officials…