A study examined innovative workplace practices in companies that employ significant numbers of entry-level workers. Findings were based on a series of personal interviews with human resource directors in 58 companies in the Northwest and the Pacific. Asked about the quality of current entry-level workers, employers reported that a disturbing…

A study examined innovative workplace practices in companies that employ significant numbers of entry-level workers. In Phase 1 of the study, a literature review was undertaken, and interviews were conducted with human resource directors in 58 companies in the Pacific Northwest nominated as exemplary in their work with entry-level workers.…

By telephone, 33 employers in a rural Arizona county were surveyed concerning their experiences with new employees in the workplace. It drew from two strands to understand employers' workplace expectations. The first drew from sociology and looked at the workplace in terms of how young workers experience the labor market. The second strand looked…

Over the past 15 years, the level of initial training among French youth has shown a rapid rise, with one of the highest rates of full-time school attendance in Europe. This sharp increase in school attendance clearly improves the training capital. In their hiring policies, employers have become more and more selective, with the result that…

More than 90 surveys conducted during the past 40 years covering a variety of disabling conditions and employers' concerns regarding workers with these conditions were reviewed. The goal of this review is to identify, develop, test, and disseminate interventions for rehabilitation practitioners to use in job development and placement. The review…

A study was conducted to identify the literacy requirements of 10 college vocational training programs and their corresponding occupations. Following a review of 5 years of student records at an eastern Ontario community college, the 10 major vocational programs studied were categorized as follows: motor vehicle mechanic, engineering technician,…

Personnel officers and first-line supervisors in eight Bay Area corporations were interviewed in fall and winter 1981 to study the range and diversity of employer experience in dealing with young workers. Respondents indicated various primary sources of applicants for entry-level jobs. Approximately two applicants out of every three were…

This report consists primarily of employer views on hiring practices and training needs in 17 occupations in five occupational areas (office work, distribution, service, communications, and crafts). Described first are the activities of the Labor Market Information Network that resulted in the compilation of data presented in the report. The…

The Adolescent Worker Study was designed to provide an in-depth analysis of the job experiences and related life histories of out-of-school working youth. To do this, a team of investigators first identified work sites across a range of industrial sectors that were currently engaged in hiring young workers between the ages of 17 and 21. Then, the…

In the United States today, too many hardworking people are unable to earn enough through work to support their families. Policymakers can help change this situation by taking the following steps: (1) keep work central; (2) promote family-supporting work; (3) invest in education and work skills; (4) make it easier for individuals to stay employed…

The future of low-wage jobs is examined through a case study of firm restructuring in the retail industry. The study confirms that the retailing sector has come to be dominated by the Wal-Mart model, which emphasizes an efficient technology-driven inventory management system and a human resource approach that includes the following elements:…

The business press abounds with examples of innovative companies that have created high-quality jobs; however, low-wage, deskilled jobs filled by contingent workers are equally prevalent. More than one in six U.S. workers currently hold retail jobs. The effect of globalization of trade on the retail industry is unclear. The most significant…