Money is being spent on training, without investment in human resources. Investment requires verifying benefits and risks to determine the best options. The role of the individual must be strengthened and investment incentives increased. (SK)

New forms of work and work organization--customized, specialized, and flexible--require new skills and flexibility in job training. Demand for versatility is calling into question the ways in which knowledge and skills are conveyed. Knowledge generation is becoming inseparable from work production. (SK)

Characteristics of virtual enterprises (client oriented, temporary working organizations that dissolve after solving specific problems, extensive technological applications) can be applied to vocational training. Virtual learning centers can provide web-based training intraorganizationally and interorganizationally via intranets and extranets. (SK)

In TeleScopia, a European Union project to develop flexible delivery platforms for distance learning across Europe, courses were more innovative due to the broad range of available technologies. However, relatively little choice was available to learners. Learner-driven rather than technology-driven solutions should be sought. (SK)

Includes two theme articles. "Pedagogical Innovation in Danish Vocational Education and Training" (Nielsen) describes how the Danish system uses development projects to drive innovation. "New Trends in Vocational Training. Two Examples of Innovation from Portugal" (Ambrosio) addresses how the context of the new Europe spurs…

Data from the European Union's Labour Force Survey show how training opportunities decline with age and are lower for low-skilled/unskilled workers and unemployed persons. Continuing training is more common among workers in higher-level jobs and nearly twice as common in service as in industrial occupations. (SK)

Compares the Scottish National Certificate modular approach and the German dual system of vocational training. Presents examples from each country of approaches that incorporate elements of the opposite model. (Contains 25 references.) (SK)

Reviews the policy context of work experience in Spain. Presents case studies of two innovative work-based learning experiences that illustrate the conditions necessary for successful learning. Supports the importance of integrating work experience into training. (Contains 58 references.) (SK)

ISO 9000 certification has the advantages of a measurable framework for quality efforts, continuous improvement, and better customer service. Drawbacks for education and training providers include volume of paperwork, ongoing cost, risk of a growing bureaucracy, and the difficulty of making changes quickly. (SK)

In Central and Eastern Europe, vocational education and training systems are decentralizing, improving financial mechanisms, and monitoring labor market links. Current challenges include guaranteeing quality, developing standards, establishing assessment and certification systems, and improving career guidance. (SK)

This description of the difficulties encountered in achieving cooperation among local agencies to provide vocational training in a Spanish district highlights the need for collaborating parties to listen to each other and the importance of understanding the environment in which agencies operate. (SK)

Explicates some paradoxes related to teleworking, information technology, and the use of the Internet. Makes recommendations for vocational education and training that resulted from European pilot projects on Internet training. (SK)

Operation Heracles sought to promote the social and occupational advancement of workers with disabilities in sheltered workshops and occupational therapy centers in the Lower Rhine region. Preparation of workers for mainstream workplaces involved skills reviews, retraining, placement, and follow-up, with family participation. (SK)

An activity-oriented programmed examination describes an actual occupational situation involving a typical work assignment. It is a promising way to measure occupational competence through written examinations. (SK)

Design of work-related learning must consider the following: flexibility, learning to learn in changing contexts, social participation, and different types of work-related knowledge. New approaches to acquiring skills and knowledge are needed. Trends influencing these factors include change of focus from training to learning, increasing learner…