To further the development of agricultural education in Nevada, a study was conducted to determine the number and kinds of employees and opportunities, and the factors which inhibit or enhance agricultural education, and to make suggestions for program improvement and adjustment. Personal interviews were held with 363 firms and 30 government…

A survey involving 1,142 Nashville, Tennessee, area businesses was conducted to assess current employment interest and future labor demands for entry-level jobs. Major objectives of the project component, part of a three-pronged effort to improve vocational education, were (1) to provide for greater involvement by business and industry in…

This report, the fifth in a series of studies of South Carolina's vocational education system, summarizes the results of a recent mail survey of more than 1,200 employers throughout the state regarding their perceptions of and experiences with vocational education, its graduates, and entry-level workers. Some of the results of the survey were as…

An analysis conducted by the state of Washington showed that the new jobs of the future will require workers with skills acquired in technical areas, but not college degrees. The analysis suggests that the present educational system is not producing an adequate supply of such workers and that more nontraditional workers will have to be recruited…

Personal interviews were conducted with persons involved in the hiring process in 60 companies throughout Ohio to determine what qualities they seek when they hire young, inexperienced workers at beginning skilled or semiskilled levels. Companies, selected to represent all sections of the state, varied in size. The study found the following: (1)…

A study was conducted to identify areas of teacher and program needs in the state of Tennessee in order to plan for the future. Five secondary school systems were selected from each of the seven developmental districts in the state, for a total sample of 35 representative systems. From these 35 systems, 419 (of 587) vocational personnel completed…

Current debates about welfare reform center on the upcoming reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) legislation. The provisions of TANF include the elimination of the entitlement to cash assistance, block grant funding to the states, mandatory work requirements, sanctions, a 5-year limit on cash assistance, and…

Designed to update an original study conducted two years ago, this study questioned businesses across Wyoming about the job skills needed by persons graduating from high school and immediately entering the work force in office occupations. A questionnaire was sent to 210 businesses across the state, with a response rate of 62 percent (137…

This study was conducted to assess business and industry's perceptions of the basic skills needed for entry-level successful employment. It also assessed business and industry's perceptions of the competencies that entry-level employees now have. Information was gathered via a basic skills questionnaire that was mailed to the personnel directors…

If it is to play a key role in the reindustrialization of the United States, vocational education must be improved. Although vocational education has grown substantially in size in recent years, its quality is spotty, characterized by excellent programs in some communities and poor programs in others. In order to contribute to reindustrialization,…