A two-year research project was conducted to determine the skills employers consider necessary for the workplace. Recent changes in the economy have made employers begin to realize that they must assist their current and future workers in achieving competency in workplace basics if they are to be competitive. Employers have come to realize the…

Alternative schools in public school districts and private institutions offer a choice of more than one educational option to students. These schools usually have some of the following characteristics: voluntary participation, distinctiveness, nonexclusiveness, comprehensive objectives, and a supportive learning environment. Instructional styles…

This handbook is intended to aid Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program staff to design, implement, and evaluate training programs for older workers under Section 124 of JTPA. The guide contains four main parts. The first part of the guide presents an overview of the JTPA and its provisions regarding services to older workers. This part of…

A study assessed the effects of the 1978 Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) amendments. While the major focus of the study was on changes in the public service employment (PSE) programs, other areas were examined, including aspects of CETA management, service delivery systems, the role of organized labor, and job placement. The study…

This module provides strategies for educators who want to assess employer needs in their communities. In addition, it provides guidelines for organizing and using the information once it is compiled. The guide includes a list of definitions and uses a question-and-answer format to discuss the best method for assessing employer needs, deciding whom…

Written for planners and practitioners in employability skills development programs, this handbook provides information and resources for designing and implementing competency-based instruction. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to basic terms and concepts that make up a competency-based system. It describes four skills required for one to be…

Five programs in the Bridges to Work demonstration have functioned as a labor market exchange--with the main services being job matching and transportation coordination--for job-ready inner-city workers and suburban employment. The logistics of transportation have been simple; the basics of employment have been an ongoing challenge. Sites have…

Employer attitudes toward youth, the youth labor market, and prospects for a national system of youth apprenticeships were studied through a survey of firms that had participated in local youth apprenticeship or cooperative education programs in seven U.S. cities and focus group discussions with small and large employers in eight U.S. communities.…

An analysis was made of the case histories of two Georgia State University (GSU) "cooperative models" for the delivery of career education and formal academic services to economically disadvantaged groups. One of the models served primarily black, primarily female Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) participants by providing…

The EnterTech Project was a collaboration of over 80 coalition members (employers, educators, community-based organizations, government entities) whose purpose was to develop a training program to prepare unskilled workers for employment opportunities in Texas high-tech industries. Development of the EnterTech curriculum and instructional design…

Successful employer engagement requires that colleges in the United Kingdom secure employers' involvement in the design, development, management, and delivery of post-16 learning so that the skill needs of employers and the workforce will be met and the increased productivity, competitiveness, and efficiency of individual organizations and the…

Interviews with representatives from nine states (Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Ohio [Canton City Schools only], Oregon, Rhode Island, and West Virginia) and two nations (Australia and the United Kingdom) provided a context for the development of a certificate of basic or foundational skills as an indicator of an adult's…

This report presents the study of a project conceived as a means of developing and testing a model Career Development Program. The project was designed to contribute significantly to the opening of nontraditional occupations to young women of low socioeconomic status and varying race and ethnic backgrounds. Three major goals were: (1) To assist a…

A project was conducted at State Fair Community College (SFCC) in Sedalia, Missouri, to develop an associate of science degree curriculum in renewable energy resources and their application in agriculture. A pilot study, designed to verify and rate the importance of 138 competencies in fuel alcohol production and to ascertain employment…

The dual challenges of competing in a world market and rapid technological advancements have necessitated redesign of the workplace into an innovative work environment known as the high-performance workplace. This environment requires knowledge workers capable of solving problems, creating ways to improve the methods they use, and engaging…