While young people are generally better educated today than ever before, recent graduates tend to lack practical skills -- especially digital skills. Certification programs offer one effective way to address this digital skills gap. They give learners a way to gain the skills they need to compete, and also to demonstrate credibly that they possess…

The Department for Education (DfE) commissioned ICF Consulting to undertake a study to examine the functioning of the Level 4 and 5 (L4-5) qualification and provider market, in order to support its review of L4-5 education. This study examines the characteristics and effectiveness of the Level 4 and 5 (L4-5) market. It specifically explores…

The Opportunity Grant (OG) program is the Washington community and technical college system's dedicated financial aid program designed to help low-income students enroll in and complete programs leading to high-wage, high-demand careers. Washington's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program is a nationally recognized model…

These are the technical appendices for the report, "Supporting Student Parents in Community College CalWORKs Programs." The appendices include: (1) CalWORKs and EOPS Programs at California Community Colleges; (2) Survey of Program Directors; (3) Survey Instrument; (4) Survey Summary Statistics; and (5) Analysis of CalWORKs Students.…

Many Californians face difficulties connecting to good jobs because of limited education. This is especially true for poor families who receive cash assistance from the state's CalWORKs (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids) program. Few CalWORKs parents have more than a high school degree, and many struggle to balance family and…

The Electronics Industries Foundation was awarded a project to develop national entry-level standards and a certification system. Ten specialties were included: automotive electronics, avionics, biomedical electronics, business machines, consumer products electronics, general electronics, industrial electronics, instrumentation, microcomputer, and…

A formative evaluation was begun of an innovative project funded by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) to develop competencies and qualifications in e-commerce. The formative evaluation was designed to focus on inputs, processes, and interim outputs, identifying both good practice and areas for improvement. Findings to date…

A 1993-97 study researched the evolution of Intermediate and Advanced General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) in Britain. Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 225 centers; 5,100 GNVQ students were surveyed individually. Findings indicated that, of the 5 original and 10 added GNVQ subjects, GNVQ programs were…