As early as elementary school, a Japanese child faces a sequence of narrowing choices for an occupational future. Through decisions on further schooling, curriculum, and job entry, earlier choices severely restrict later ones. Usually, men go to four-year universities to study engineering or social sciences. Women generally attend two-year…

This paper addresses the economic impact in Australia of vocational and technical training, particularly the economic outcomes of participation in vocational education and training. Two cohorts are examined, one born in 1961 and the other in 1965. Educational attainments and take-home earnings are reported and analyzed for each group when they…

A study compared the attainment of national vocational qualifications (NVQs) in Scotland and other U.K. regions. Data from the Labour Force Survey and case studies indicate that Scotland underperforms England in the attainment of NVQs, suggesting improved performance in the achievement of academic and traditional vocational qualifications in…

The key to long-range economic development in the Arab Gulf region is an integrated, cooperative approach to technical education of indigenous manpower resources. This can best be accomplished through a visible and formal policy infrastructure designed to deliver vocational/technical education which is targeted to the specific needs of each state.…

In order to understand the factors which influence success or failure for adult students, a group of shop stewards attending a union training program were studied. The chief determinant of individual success was the attitude of the convenor, a higher level union official, who shaped behavior and attitudes toward learning. (IS)

This report summarizes findings of a team of U.S. business, labor, and public policy representatives that visited Denmark and Great Britain in Fall 1993 to study innovations in the education and training of young people for work. An executive summary and introduction are followed by two main sections that present findings from the visits. Each…

Six observers studied both school-to-work transition programs for youth and retraining programs for adult workers in three Western European countries--West Germany, Sweden, and England. They identified European solutions to a pressing problem in the United States: youth and adult workers whose skills are inadequate for today's and tomorrow's jobs.…

Analysis of recent vocational education reforms in Poland, Hungary, and the Czech and Slovak republics looks at the nature of modernization efforts and structural changes, and the role of foreign assistance and international cooperation. Current initiatives are seen as an attempt to catch up with the Western world of the 1970s. (MSE)

A study was conducted by the General Accounting Office (GAO) to review U.S. education and training strategies; identify likely weaknesses; and examine the strategies of England, the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, and Sweden for preparing noncollege youth for employment. GAO reviewed the literature, consulted with experts, and visited the…

This study and evaluation of development education initiatives at the higher or postsecondary level in some industrialized countries has been prepared within the context of the education and information programs supported by Action for Development, a United Nations program. An opening chapter gives background on development studies in general, and…

The study examines how senior executives in America's largest corporations feel about the public education system and what they are doing or considering doing to help overcome the system's problems. Questionnaires were mailed to the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the Fortune 500 industrial companies and the Fortune 500 service companies. The…

A major proposition is that dual training arrangements alone do not necessarily solve quality problems in the delivery of vocational education and training (VET) nor improve VET links to the labor market. An essential strategy for Australia should be to further develop holistic training courses linked to apprenticeship models and embed both into a…

This document contains summaries of the presentations and discussions that were part of a conference on human resource development (HRD) research and practice across Europe that focused on the theme of creativity and innovation in learning. The document begins with summaries of the following presentations: "Introduction" (Jim Stewart);…

The long-term economic and social impacts of the rise in levels of education on mechanisms of access to employment and on human resources management were examined in a comparative study of educational expansion and the labor markets of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with special reference to the United States. Five teams of…

U.S. business, labor, and public policy representatives visited Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland to study the roles of their counterparts in school-to-work systems. They identified these common strengths: education viewed as an economic investment tool by all partners; strong partnerships of business, labor, and government; voluntary national,…