Objective: In order to increase employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), professionals are tasked with designing and implementing job training services to youth preparing to enter the job market. Having a better understanding of desirable employability skills aids in allowing professionals…

This report identifies effective strategies to tackle skills imbalances in South Africa. It provides an assessment of practices and policies in the following areas: the collection and use of information on skill needs to foster a better alignment of skills acquisitions with labour market needs; education and training policies targeting skills…

It is generally accepted that human capital is an important factor in economic growth, but its impact on growth depends on the demand for education and skills on the labor market. Demand for human capital is largely determined by the institutional environment that governs the basic conditions for economic activity. The author expresses ten doubts…

One of the challenges facing Australia is the ageing of the population. Of major concern, especially to government, is that the dependency ratio--a measure of the burden that economically active persons carry by supporting dependent persons--will increase significantly unless older people keep working or immigration is used to change the…

Describes employment policies and programs, incentive plans, and job creation programs to aid disabled young job seekers in Japan, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, and the United States. (Author/JOW)

Review of programs initiated by various western countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)--government-initiated public and private programs to cope with the youth unemployment problem. (JT)

Refugee assistance programs are typically designed for men, who are greatly outnumbered by refugee women. A critique of training and job development opportunities shows that women are trained to produce items of little demand, those with children have difficulty attending training, and they are reluctant to engage in paid work if it affects their…

This publication of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) describes a project investigating employment and training in Greece, Spain, and Portugal. An introduction tells why CEDEFOP has given priority to those countries. The second section reports the project's examination of the textiles and ready-to-wear…

Documents the growth in aesthetic service occupations and issues regarding employability: interpersonal skills, training, and social exclusion of those deemed unsuitable for "style" labor. Examines a Scottish training program that raises concerns about social control but may improve the employability of long-term unemployed persons.…

This report describes BRIDGES, an employment equity special measures training program developed by the City of Toronto (Ontario, Canada). It was designed to help women employees move from their traditional jobs into trades, technical or operation (TTO) jobs within their own organization. The program is a combination of classroom sessions, shop…

The Australian labor market in 1992 was characterized by (1) high unemployment; (2) variability across states; (3) long-term unemployment; (4) government focus on infrastructure projects; (5) emphasis on training; and (6) enterprise bargaining in industrial relations. (SK)

These five papers underscore the fact that the labor market policies of Japan, West Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia are similar in many ways. The papers are "Japanese Labor Market Policies" (Koji Taira), "The Labor Market Policies of West Germany" (Deborah R. Cichon), "The Management of the U.K. Labour…

In September 1985, the Canadian government introduced the Canadian Jobs Strategy. Two features distinguish the jobs strategy program from Canada's old job development programs and programs for purchasing job training from colleges. These features are: (1) focusing of federal support for labor market adjustment on those individuals who are most in…

This report describes a community development course focusing on income-generating projects for rural women. The first section outlines the schedule of activities for each day of the 16-day course. The second section defines course objectives, including purpose and methodology, planning, group dynamics, cooperation, communication, negotiation, and…

Intended as a planning and implementation aid for European political decision makers and organizers of projects that train and employ disadvantaged young people, this document consists of three sections. The first section systematically elaborates on major planning areas (objectives, pedagogy, integration into employment, staff qualifications, and…