In 2000, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the programme "Learning Regions--Providing Support for Networks'" in cooperation with the Lander. It was co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF). Some 90 regions were selected and financially supported. After one year, 71 regions continued to build-up…

This discussion draft reviews trends in Canada's apprenticeship system over the last 20 years and then examines prospects for labor market conditions for Canada's total economy and for the construction sector to the year 2005. The apprenticeship system has a number of serious weaknesses, including the following: (1) the stagnation in new…

This report examines data and data quality on vocational education and training available from the seven highly developed countries that make up the G-7: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Following an introduction, chapter 2 describes the nature of vocational education and training opportunities at…

The National Staff Development Committee of the Vocational Education and Training Sector in Australia is promoting action learning as a preferred professional development strategy to support the implementation of key competencies. Action learning was piloted across five training areas within the Department of Employment, Training, and Further…

This comprehensive study explores the chronological and geographical expansion of the assessment of adult and experiential learning--known as AP(E)L--around the world. The authors describe and compare initiatives in their own countries and their effectiveness at the levels of government, educational institutions, and employment. They highlight…

Home study is practiced by most managers, who read or write reports, reflect on work projects and problems, and catch up on professional journals at home. A goal of home study advocates is to make such home study as useful as possible. A management development process known in England as action learning requires that 60 percent of study be done at…

A study was conducted to understand the informal learning processes of the members of a worker natural foods store cooperative, The Big Carrot, in Toronto. Eight members with central roles in the natural foods retailer were interviewed. In addition, key documents and other writings on the cooperative were examined. The data indicate that members…

A study of the Australian higher education and vocational education and training (VET) sectors analyzed their education and training outputs (the education and training services and products provided by the sectors to other persons or entities) and outcomes (the effect of completion of a course provided by a sector for its clients). Data were…

This publication reviews available literature regarding apprenticeship in the United States and 17 other industrialized market-economy nations. It notes outstanding practices that may be replicated or transferred to strengthen U.S. apprenticeship. The publication begins by defining apprenticeships and outlining the unique features of U.S.…

This publication is designed to inform policy development and enable providers to develop good practice in working with microbusinesses. It encourages partnerships between learning providers and microbusinesses by providing a rationale to motivate the instigation of the partnership (Chapter 1); promoting awareness of the different types of…

A survey was conducted of a randomly-selected sample of TAFE (Training and Further Education) graduates in Australia who completed vocational education and training (VET) qualifications during 1999 and of TAFE students who successfully completed some training ("module completers") and left the TAFE system. Analysis of the responses of…

This report contains case studies from six countries on local efforts to ease the transition of youth from school to work and to stop or prevent them from regressing to semiliteracy or illiteracy. The countries studied are Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Yugoslavia, and Zimbabwe. A short summary of each of…

A project evaluated the quality assurance (QA) processes put in place by the English National Board from 1998. The Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) represented a shift of emphasis in audit activity from approval/validation of programs to continuous annual monitoring and review. The evaluation used a mixture of methods, including survey and case…

This five-chapter booklet is a report on Lifelong Learning Week (LLW) 2000 in Slovenia, which included a celebration of the fifth anniversary of LLW and the first International Week--Festival of Learning. Chapter 1 contains one report, "LLW Has a Special Mission" (Olga Drofenik), and Chapter 2 contains these three speeches from the LLW…

A survey of 456 further education (FE) colleges in England and Wales identified the FE sector's activities in providing effective training and development to smaller and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Of 120 colleges that responded, 87.5 percent provided direct training to SMEs; 79.2 percent were developing or acquiring teaching or training…