This document addresses vocational training in European countries. The document contains the following articles: (1) "Dear Readers" (Ernst Piehl and Georges Dupont); (2) "Interview with Lord Plumb, President of the European Parliament" (Georges Dupont); "The European Community's 'Ostpolitik'" (Horst G. Krenzler);…

In May 1988, at the request of State Superintendent for Instruction John Folks, about 50 Oklahoma school superintendents, legislators, association executives, and state department staff met to discuss education and economic development linkages. Participants heard numerous speakers, including superintendents, business representatives, economists,…

This article focuses on the Rhone-Alpes region's policy for the development of alternating training based on cooperation between the occupational branches and the national educational system. It discusses the following: France's 1987 law on apprenticeship that provided an opportunity for its emergence; cooperative apprenticeship as the culmination…

The Swedish employment structure and the role of colleges in preparing people for work is being studied by the Swedish Research on Higher Education program. The project is designed to: survey changes in the Swedish economy and employment structure during the postwar period; assess the extent to which business and industry have given priority to…

The ninth meeting of CEDEFOP (French acronym for the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) is summarized in this report. Attending the forum were representatives of the leading vocational training research and development institutions and ministerial departments from the European Community (EC) Member States and from…

Focusing on the role of community colleges in implementing the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, the 12 essays in this volume describe strategies and practices developed by colleges to address the provisions of the Act and help develop a global workforce. The following articles are provided: "Assessing the Community College Role in…

This Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) newssheet is devoted to a cluster of activities connected by a common theme: the relationship between education and the economy. Four areas of activity are discussed: (1) further education and training of the labor force; (2) the changing role of vocational and technical education…

Four major trends reshaping the American economy are having a tremendous effect on the number and nature of jobs in the United States: (1) corporate downsizing; (2) the outsourcing of work and services; (3) increasing use of "contingent" workers; and (4) the increasing income disparity between high school and college graduates. These trends have…

An Education Writers Association seminar in Atlanta focused on the link between illiteracy and the workplace in the South. State economic development policies are largely bypassing rural areas, and the effects of this urban-rural split include persistent high poverty rates, population loss, and unemployment. Changes in the workplace, particularly…

During the second half of the 20th century, two-year colleges in the rural South were transformed from "junior" appendages of other institutions to community colleges that responded to the needs of local workers and businesses. This paper examines how the South's rural community colleges contribute to economic development today and what…

This report contains a list of 21 contacts and 9 references concerned with workplace literacy programs in the hotel and food service industries. Each listing includes addresses and telephone numbers, prices if applicable, and a brief description of the resource or materials. The materials listed are mostly reports of workplace literacy projects in…

This collection of articles addresses various aspects of curriculum and instruction at Utah's community colleges. First, "Reflections on the Changing Role and Mission of Utah Community and Technical Colleges," by Don A. Carpenter, considers the colleges' role in meeting needs for comprehensiveness, "practical" general…

This document contains the 2000-2001 issues of Mt. San Antonio College's (Mt. SAC's) "Insights on the College." The first issue, "Mt. SAC Progress Report on Partnership for Excellence Goals," is a report on the self-assessment of the Partnership for Excellence (PFE) program conducted by Mt. SAC. The PFE program addresses the…

This document discusses reasons for the current interest in workplace literacy and describes existing training for the workplace. Among the reasons for the interest in workplace literacy are changing demographics, which are altering the composition of the labor force, and changes such as the demise of the factory model in the workplace itself and…

The role of further education (FE) colleges in England and Wales was examined through a survey mailed to a representative sample of 478 of the United Kingdom's 622 FE colleges. Questionnaires were returned by 102 (21%) of the colleges. Data were also collected through seminars, conferences and consultation meetings, cases studies, and a best…