A study was conducted to determine the need for new occupational programs in the area served by the Community College of Decatur and to assess the need for existing and proposed occupational programs. Over a 5-month period, questionnaires were mailed to selected representatives from businesses, industries, personal and public services, and health…

The paid annual vacation is now the rule rather than the exception in conditions of employment in the United States. Collective bargaining and unilateral decisions by employers have increased the length of paid annual vacations and reduced qualifying periods of employment for millions of workers. In recent years the 4-week annual vacation has…

These four papers are from a symposium that was facilitated by Laura Bierema at the 1995 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD). "The Status of Valuing and Managing Diversity in Fortune 500 Manufacturing and Fortune 500 Service Organizations: Perceptions of Top Human Resource Professionals" (Sandra J. Johnson) reports a…

This document, which is intended to help individual managers and task forces committed to development of a work-family agenda, is based on recommendations of the Work and Family Research Council, which is composed of 35 advocates of work-family policies within U.S. firms. Basic strategies for promoting (marketing) work-family programs within…

Workplace literacy programs can support the path toward either low wages or high skills. Instead of the "high skill" path, most U.S. companies follow the "low wage" path. Depending on who is involved, which program goals are selected, and what planning process is followed, a workplace literacy program can maintain outdated workplaces or foster…

In order to assess the felt needs and interests of the local population and business community relative to education and training, a survey was designed and implemented in the four-county area surrounding Waco, Texas. This volume, part two of a three part series, documents the work done in developing and conducting the business and industry…

This guide is intended to assist employers, educators, and union officials in understanding the rationale behind developing and implementing tuition assistance plans. Examined in the introductory section are the importance of tuition assistance programs in light of contemporary economic and labor market conditions. The first chapter outlines the…

This guide is intended to serve as a reference tool to individuals responsible for planning and implementing a work force reduction program. The information included in the guide represents a synthesis of practices that have worked for a number of companies, individuals, and communities that have had to cope with a work force reduction. The first…

This book is a tool kit for human resource development (HRD) and training managers, trainers, and administrative assistants in small HRD departments. Part 1 deals with the challenges and opportunities of managing a small HRD department and with planning the strategy. Chapter 1 gives a sense of the workings of small HRD departments. Chapter 2…

The practices and perceptions of Wisconsin employers regarding welfare recipients were examined. First, 500 employers outside the Milwaukee metropolitan area were interviewed by telephone. Those data were merged with data from a survey of Milwaukee-area employers, resulting in a statewide sample of about 1,250 Wisconsin employers (25%, 35%, and…

Because sedentary living creates health consequences that ultimately affect employees' productivity, many companies are sponsoring worksite physical fitness programs for their employees. The cost-effectiveness of such programs and the resulting reduction in employees' absenteeism rates and medical and health care costs have been well documented.…

Sheltered work programs for the handicapped in five European countries (Denmark, Sweden, Poland, West Germany, and The Netherlands) are described in this paper. Basic features of the programs in each country are discussed, including population, financing, and aspects of the programs that can be applied in helping America improve employment…

Upward mobility programs in the service sector for low-skilled, economically disadvantaged, and dislocated or displaced workers promote employment security, career development, and productivity. Two basic types of upward mobility programs are basic and job-specific skills training. Although 60-80 percent of all employer-sponsored formal training…

Adult Americans have been participating in formal education and training programs in record numbers in recent years. Yet studies of participation by working Americans in tuition assistance programs have consistently revealed that few take advantage of them. This report describes and analyzes the Kimberly-Clark Corporation's tuition-assistance…

This volume contains technical and supporting materials that supplement Volume I, which describes upward mobility programs for disadvantaged and dislocated workers in the service sector. Appendix A is a detailed description of the project methodology, including data collection methods and information on data compilation, processing, and analysis.…