Many healthcare professions struggle with knowing what the entry-level educational requirement should be for their profession. This study looked at the educational level of hiring managers for respiratory therapy and whether that affected their decisions on hiring associate or baccalaureate degree graduates in the state of Pennsylvania. The…

This study examined the perceptions of community employers as to the skill levels of graduates from Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs. This study also examined the perceptions of former students of CTE programs. The skill level is the skills that the job market deem necessary to be successful in a particular industry. This study also…

The greatest challenge we face in the next ten years is the challenge of making sure we have a qualified workforce able to meet the demands of living in a global economy. To do this we will need to expand the capacity of our workforce development and educational system to meet the training needs of business and industry. In order to assess the…

Discusses test validation studies, adverse impact analyses, and job analyses used to validate assessment procedures for screening corrections officer candidates in Pennsylvania. Addresses psychological screening, background investigations, and assessment fairness. (Contains 50 endnotes.) (SK)

Pennsylvania electronics manufacturers responding to a survey (93 of 250) identified the most important skills for new workers as following directions and mastery of basic electronics. Least important were leadership, creativity, and written communication. Firm size was not a significant variable. (SK)

A study identified the competencies needed by full-time employees entering the apple production industry. Other objectives of the study included: (1) identification of differences among competency areas needed for employees working for large, medium, and small growers (based on acreage); and (2) identification of differences among competency areas…

A study compared the perceptions of Pennsylvania laboratory directors and medical technology educators relative to career-entry competencies for associate degree medical laboratory technicians (MLTs) and baccalaureate medical technology (MT) graduates. A 55-item competency questionnaire was administered to 265 hospital laboratory directors and 40…

The purpose of this study was to identify the professional horticultural competencies that vocational horticultural teachers must perform successfully and to distinguish between those competencies needed by entry level teachers and those needed by experienced teachers. A secondary purpose was to examine differences in the ratings of the…

The purpose of a study was to analyze employers' secretarial skill requirements and the secretarial curriculum requirements of postsecondary proprietary business schools in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area and to determine if and how the requirements differed. Data were gathered through a survey mailed to the 10 largest nongovernmental employers…

A study examined whether point of entry into the work force affects earnings growth and employment stability. The Pennsylvania Regional Economic and Social Information data set (a 5% sample of workers whose wages were reported to the state's unemployment insurance program in 1969-1991) served as the study population. Analyses of the earnings…

This report contains findings from a study to examine the impact of Pennsylvania's Customized Job Training (CJT) program upon clients (trainees), business/industry, local education agencies (LEAs), and local communities and the commonwealth. Chapter 1 details study purposes, design, and procedures. Chapter 2 presents a summary description of the…

A pilot project demonstrated that cooperative training programs are effective and cost efficient for small businesses. Common entry-level reading and thinking tasks were identified in a variety of occupational areas. Five growing occupational areas were identified: industrial/machine operator; health care; food preparation; hotel/hospitality; and…

The internship program for undergraduate-level community health students at Slippery Rock University in Butler, Pennsylvania, is designed as a capstone experience bridging the gap from academia to practice. Students in the internship program spend 12 weeks during the summer of their senior year working in any health organization of their choice,…

This booklet, which is part of a series demonstrating the scope of employer involvement in school-to-careers, highlights the efforts of three retail employers and two "intermediary" organizations connecting workplace experiences to classroom learning for secondary education students. The introduction presents a series overview and lists…