Despite the growing popularity of WBL, the community college and workforce development fields need greater transparency and clarity on the design of these programs to broaden workforce pathways, ensure the transferability of exemplary program models, and support the advancement of equitable outcomes for all students, especially learners from…

Debate over the "skills gap" and how to address it has consumed considerable space in discussions about U.S. higher education, workforce development, and economic strength. The conventional narrative describes a fundamental mismatch between the skills that employers say they need in their employees and the skills that jobseekers possess,…

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of faculty and student perceptions of the importance of resource, interpersonal, information, systems, and technology management competencies in the hospitality industry Background: The increasing complexity and technological dependency of the diverse hospitality and tourism…

U.S. strength in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines has formed the basis of innovations, technologies, and industries that have spurred the nation's economic growth throughout the last 150 years. Universities are essential to the creation and transfer of new knowledge that drives innovation. This knowledge moves…

No doubt career and technical education (CTE) is integral in preparing a skilled workforce for today's jobs. Hands-on training is an important element of the CTE classroom, and when that occurs in an actual workplace setting, it may be called internship, apprenticeship or cooperative education. Whatever term is applied, it is another way in which…

California's education system--the largest in the United States--is an essential resource for ensuring strong economic growth in the state. The Career Technical Education Pathways Initiative (referred to as the Initiative in this report), which became law in 2005, brings together community colleges, K-12 school districts, employers, organized…

In the past decade, the role of higher education in workforce development has emerged as a key issue around the world. Leading authorities inside and outside of government have begun questioning whether colleges and universities are preparing graduates with the competencies and skills necessary to compete in a dynamic global economy. As part of a…

Describes four affordable programs in Maine's Technical College System that help bridge transition from school to work: (1) Maine Quality Centers, where workers are trained to meet specific needs of employers; (2) Maine Tech Prep, which fosters career and skills development for high school students; (3) articulation agreements that provide smooth…

A review of the literature on the use of the workplace as a learning site in vocational education identified alternative models used to combine workplace learning with school-based programs and identified a framework and criteria for evaluating programs using the workplace as part of their instructional process. Although there is some evidence…

This document, which is intended for Iowa employers and elementary and secondary educators, outlines 11 activities through which employers can participate in school-to-work (STW) programs in Iowa's elementary and secondary schools. The document begins with a definition of work-based learning and a brief overview of information and other resources…

This document consists of descriptions of 43 effective youth employment initiatives that were identified by the Promising and Effective Practices Network (PEPNet), a project of the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC). The document begins with an explanation of the five broad categories of criteria used to select the programs (purpose and…

This document presents materials to assist Utah school personnel who are initiating, implementing, or improving work-based learning opportunities for students. The document presents detailed guidelines for creating and maintaining work-based learning systems in schools and resource materials for improving existing work-based opportunities. Formal…

This document contains 18 papers from the partnership for vocational education and training (VET) section of an international conference on VET for lifelong learning in the information era. The following are papers are included: "School, TAFE (Technical and Further Education), and University Links, in Pursuit of a Seamless Pathway"…