This paper was presented to a meeting of the Wellington Exchange, an international group of higher education officials, in December 2008. One of the topics of the meeting was around the issue of possible skills shortages emerging as a result of demographic trends, with the ageing of the population of developed countries. The paper argues that this…

Asking "Who should be allowed to attend college?," the author discusses several philosophical issues associated with open admissions. Egalitarianism vis-a-vis meritocracy is considered, in relation to the realities of the current and projected employment market for college graduates. Effects on open admissions on the value of a higher education…

A research model was developed to determine whether additional general post secondary middle management distributive education (DE) programs should be implemented in Nebraska and what, if any, specialized DE programs should be developed. A literature review reflected advocacy of both general or specialized programs and a middle of the road…

Increased automation, inflation, and a worsening labor market are among the factors involved in lower employment prospects for mildly mentally retarded school leavers. (CL)

The effects of college education on incomes during the past century, changes in the labor market, and the accuracy of future projections are examined. Other areas discussed are why college graduates earn more money than high school graduates, how much more money, and whether the amount earned exceeds the amount spent on their education. (BM)

The report asserts that U.S. and Wisconsin schools and workers are being used as scapegoats for the nation's and the state's social and economic problems. The propositions that U.S. students are not globally competitive and U.S. schools failures are "complete hoaxes." The report further asserts that a third big hoax being perpetrated on…

The New Jersey Occupational Information Coordinating Committee's statistics for average annual predicted job openings for program year 1989 are given in this report, along with the New Jersey Division of Vocational Education completers' statistics for the 1988-89 school year. The numbers of male and female completers of secondary programs for each…

The New Jersey Occupational Information Coordinating Committee's statistics for average annual predicted job openings for 1984-87 are presented, along with the New Jersey Division of Vocational Education's enrollment statistics for the same period. The number of males and females enrolled in secondary programs for each of the 29 job categories…

In order to determine job demand in the cosmetology industry, a survey was made of a nationally representative stratified random sample of 1,454 beauty salons, barber shops, and unisex salons in July 1991. Salon owners were asked about 1990 and their plans for the future. Survey results were supplemented with information about the industry…

A survey of 379 Elkhart County, Indiana, employers was conducted to determine the local labor force situation. Replies received from 141 employers were analyzed, with the following findings reported: (1) more than 520 job openings existed for unskilled, entry-level jobs, but employers were having trouble filling them because candidates were poorly…

To improve the services provided to clients in vocational rehabilitation, a study was conducted to determine what staff shortages exist by occupational discipline and which of them could be addressed by education and training. Data collection involved a questionnaire completed by 95 percent of the 83 directors of state agencies responsible for…

This document reports a project to define, identify, and describe new and emerging occupations in Nebraska and disseminate that information to vocational education program and curriculum planners. Chapter 1 describes the background, problem, and purpose of the project. Chapter 2 sets forth the objectives and discusses procedures for developing a…

Recent studies profiling the United States' current and future work force have identified significant changes in work force demographics, immigration patterns, economic structure, the education-employment connection, and company training investments. Among the specific changes and trends that have been identified are the following: (1) the…

Today's life-styles and labor force are changing as more women enter the workplace and the workplace becomes more service- and information-oriented. However, women still earn much less than men and are more likely to live in poverty than their male counterparts. Schools also have changed, as equity in education has been mandated. At present,…

The results of three national symposia held in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco by the Work in America Institute involving more than 300 leaders from industry, qovernment, labor, communications, and education are summarized in this volume dealing with the work force of the future and the emerging work environment. Changes reported that affect…