The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, more ubiquitously known by the acronym "STEM," have received a substantial amount of attention in recent years. As part of a research study investigating the alignment (or lack thereof) between the goals and priorities of educators and employers, we found it difficult to…

This paper outlines how the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) meets the definition of "credential" as defined by the US Department of Labor Employment (US DOL) and Training Administration's Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 15-10. The NCRC fits the US DOL definition of a credential both (a) in the context of…

Although higher education understands the need to develop critical thinkers, it has not lived up to the task consistently. Students are graduating deficient in these skills, unprepared to think critically once in the workforce. Limited development of cognitive processing skills leads to less effective leaders. Various definitions of critical…

This paper provides an account of the main approaches, debates and evidence in the literature on the role of workforce skills in the innovation process in developed economies. It draws on multiple sources including the innovation studies discipline, neoclassical Human Capital theory, institutionalist labour market studies and the work organisation…

"The Quality Imperative" was approved by the Board of Directors of the Association of American Colleges and Universities in December 2009. This statement focuses on the core issue of educational quality. Both employers and educators know that the higher education quality shortfall is just as urgent as the attainment shortfall. Today's employers…

This publication is intended for three primary audiences: international development professionals who want to define "workforce" for program design purposes, those who seek information about field activities, and those who want to reflect on the implementation of successful, high impact programs--whether they were broad-based or…

Adult education must become popular education in both communal and personal terms to survive funding agencies' special power-interest hegemonies, traditional higher education models, and rampant economic materialism. This article discusses six modernist constructions of adult education, highlighting professionalization and specialization, and…

Although the Japanese term "kyo-iku" is translated into English as "education," significant differences exist between the two terms. A new term, "ergonagy," has been advocated to help integrate the Japanese concept of kyo-iku and the Western concept of education. "Ergonagy" is formed from the Greek terms…

This document contains two papers from a symposium that was moderated by facilitator Peter A. DeLisel at the 1995 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development. "The Case for Learning" (Karen E. Watkins, Victoria J. Marsick) argues for a broader, more transformative definition of the field of human resource development (HRD),…

A forum was conducted to give workplace education practitioners (WEPs) from across Canada the opportunity to have an initial discussion on WEP development and recognition. The forum included presentations by forum participants, forum discussions, and brainstorming sessions on the following and other topics: roles and working contexts of WEPs in…

Incidental learning is unintentional or unplanned learning that results from other activities. It occurs often in the workplace, during the use of computers, and in the process of completing tasks. Incidental learning occurs in many ways, including the following: through observation, repetition, social interaction, and problem solving; from…

In late 1980 several regional and national meetings were convened to develop a set of proposed national goals for linking education and economic development in rural America in the 1980s; the 9 commissioned papers in this report provide background information for the overall project and an appendix contains the resulting 10 proposed national…

This monograph is comprised of 12 essays related to the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), each of which serves as a generic primer on a topic relevant to work force development staff and researchers nationwide. The essays are "Learning the Language of LMI (Labor Market Information): Basic Labor Market Information Terms and…

This report presents innovative vocational training (VT) initiatives to improve integration of low-skilled workers into lifelong learning and the labor market. Chapter 1 describes study structure and methodology. Chapter 2 addresses the theoretical basis for observing innovations. It analyzes the definition and significance of innovation in system…

Ways of expanding workplace learning in the United Kingdom by making better use of individual and organizational potential were examined. The analysis focused on the following issues: ways of fostering, improving, and increasing learning in the workplace; ways of enhancing access to and participation in workplace learning; ways of making workplace…