The aim of this article is to show the increased relevance of soft skills in a continuously changing environment. A research was carried out to examine and compare students' and employers' perceptions regarding the importance of soft skills in different European countries. Results show that 86% of respondents indicate an increased emphasis on soft…

There has been an alarming rate of graduate unemployment in Mauritius over the past 5 years. The education system has been criticized for being too academic and not driven by the requirements of industry, leading to a skills mismatch. The Mauritian government has consequently announced several new schemes to boost employment and economic growth.…

Training programs that combine learning English with career and vocational skills are highly desired to prepare many displaced workers that are English speakers of other languages (ESOL). Globalization has caused jobs to be exported and brought to this country, people with needed skills that do not have full command of the English language. The…

Purpose: The purpose of this conceptual paper is to illuminate the problems that are associated with defining and identifying talent and to discuss the development of talent as a contributor to employability. Design/methodology/approach: The world of work is characterised by new and rapidly changing demands. Talent management has recently been the…

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine HR executives' perspectives on employability enhancement for employees and how it is operationalized in their workplace. The exploratory questions that guided the study were, What are the perspectives of HR executives regarding employability enhancement for employees, and In what…

This article examines the evolving nature of Human Resource Development (HRD) as reflected in changes in one of the component parts often associated with HRD--career development (CD). Recent developments within career development such as a focus on employability, the boundaryless career, and free agent workers are discussed. New directions for…

New normative ideas about flexibility, employability and lifelong learning are shifting labour market requirements as they induce flexible employment patterns and new skilling needs. While the model of a typical progressive career based on possession of a particular set of (occupational) skills has been largely undermined, employees are…

Why do employers go to the trouble and considerable expense of providing training for the people who work for them? Traditionally, the purpose of company-sponsored training has been to prepare specific people to do specific jobs or to do them better. (SSH)

Levels of analysis perform an important function in framing research and practice in human resource development (HRD). The purpose of this article is to examine the concept of HRD from the individual, organizational, and community-societal levels of analysis. The article highlights both the distinctiveness and usefulness of each level of analysis,…

This comparative study explored differences in perceptions between Canadian and US post secondary faculty in the fields of adult education (AdEd) and human resource development (HRD) on program development issues in the emerging field of "workplace learning." In fall of 2001, The Adult Education and Human Resource Development Faculty…

The report presents an unclassified, unlimited bibliography of technical reports and other publications on research conducted by the Occupational Research Division, Air Force Human Resources Laboratory (AFHRL). The cited references cover the period July 1957, to March 1974, and are compiled chronologically by year and within the year. The mission…

This final report of the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) describes how the United States can prepare young people as well as workers already on the job for productive work in the 21st century. Following an executive summary, Part I, Learning a Living, describes the economic choices facing the United States, defines the…

This first issue of the semi-annual lifelong learning bibliography contains references to output from January to June 2001, a time of intense debate and reflection on lifelong learning in Europe. It also includes monographs, chapters, journal articles, legal texts, Internet sites, and CD-ROMs dealing with lifelong learning at European,…

This report from the 91st session of the International Labor Organization (ILO) conference examines recent legislation, policies, and practices reflecting new approaches to learning and training. The document was intended to foster discussion regarding a revision of the ILO standard on human resources training and development. Chapter I examines…

Papers on the theme of quality in human resource development include the following: "Missing Link to Quality: An Examination of the Use of Steven Covey's '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' in State Agencies" (Adair et al.); "Executive Women in Business in the United States" (Bierema); "Extent and Nature of Employee…