This paper represents the latest in a line of papers and think pieces that the author has prepared on this topic -- for the UK government, the UK Skills and Productivity Board, and the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council -- since 2014. It seeks to explain why trying to bring skills supply into closer alignment with demand for skills…

A study of three Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) traced development of the skills element of their RES [Regional Economic Strategy] and their progress toward an action plan for skills to implement their strategic objectives. The process involved creating a forum on skills; producing a consultation draft skills strategy; and producing a final…

England has failed to create a stratum of technical school education in the 20th century. It is increasingly being recognized that educational defects have contributed to England's relative decline and laggard economic performance compared with European competitors. Although junior technical schools were founded in the early 1900s and secondary…

The ninth meeting of CEDEFOP (French acronym for the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) is summarized in this report. Attending the forum were representatives of the leading vocational training research and development institutions and ministerial departments from the European Community (EC) Member States and from…

In contrast to high technologies generally developed in the industrialized countries, technological development in the new industrial countries is mostly characterized by innovative efforts to change imported technologies over a period of time. Economic and social impacts of the introduction of new technologies include the significant reduction of…

This report focuses on use of large-scale economy-wide models in Australia for occupational forecasting and their use in the vocational education and training (VET) sector for making decisions about training profiles across occupational areas. Section 2 reviews objectives of VET policy as defined in the legislation and Australian National Training…

This paper explores, from two perspectives, the potential contribution of U.S. occupational information systems and other related programs to human resources development (HRD) in other countries, particularly in developing countries. The first perspective arises from initial and subsequent research on occupational information systems design and…

Japan's economic success is clear evidence that purposeful investments in the educational quality of the work force pay major dividends in terms of enhanced productivity and increased competitiveness. The key elements of the Japanese system are, in fact, less than 40 years old. The current recession is a reminder of the transitory nature of…

This monograph, which describes the vocational education and training (VET) system in the United Kingdom, is a step towards updating and extending the series on VET in the member states of the European Community. Chapter 1 provides background information on: political and administrative structure; population; the economy and labor force;…

This report explores the theory and practice of coordinated health and human resources development as a concept that can help guard against the production of inappropriate categories or numbers of health personnel. The report concentrates of what can be done to make education and training programs more directly responsive to the priority needs in…

A study explored the mechanisms used by adults in Australia and Korea to keep their skills current or to enhance their range of skills. Data were gathered through recent research reports and unpublished unemployment and training data. The study identified areas of the vocational education and training systems in the two countries that are…

This is the third publication in the European Training Foundation's (ETF's) series of manuals designed to support development of vocational education and training (VET) standards. This volume looks at ways in which VET standards are linked to labor market demands and how relevant VET standards are to the needs of employment in a market economy.…

A study explored questions on changing skill requirements of small firms in the services sector that are internationalizing their activities. These seven European Union (EU) member states were involved: Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The services sector accounted for a significant part of the EU…

Case studies of five French firms illustrate the impact of new work technologies on training. Liquid Corporation has embarked on changes in production technology in response to market needs. Four aspects of the change process are as follows: creating the climate for change, selecting operators, defining new training requirements, and training for…

This paper focuses on the demand for and supply of intermediate-level vocational skills within the United Kingdom (UK) economy. Using existing research from surveys and case studies, Part One argues that there is a lack of evidence that widespread intermediate-skill shortages exist within the expanding service sector. In the manufacturing sector,…