The federal policy shift from skills training and toward work first strategies has come about, in part, from a misconception that "training does not work." A more comprehensive look at existing research reveals the documented effectiveness of skills training. A growing number of studies have shown skills training can increase earnings;…

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Jobs Initiative is a six-city workforce initiative aimed at helping disadvantaged adults earn their way out of poverty. Between 1995 and 2002, the initiative enrolled more than 17,000 adults and placed 8,090 people in jobs. Most Jobs Initiative participants were working 18 months after enrollment in the program, and…

A study assessed the first two years of a three-year initiative to test the potential of extending sectoral employment strategies among 10 organizations, most of which were new to the sectoral employment field. Five organizations increasing low-income workers' access to good jobs were ARCH; PhAME; Training, Inc.; WIRE-Net; and Project QUEST. Five…

These case studies and analytic essays are intended to give the reader a richer understanding of when and how top managers succeed or fail in their efforts to use performance management (PM) systems to improve the functioning of federal, state, and local government in the United States (U.S.). The question mark in the title is intended to remind…

The Phare Vocational Education and Training (VET) Reform Programme in Romania was evaluated in May-June 1999. According to the two evaluators who conducted intensive visits to 14 pilot and demonstration schools and met with 9 zonal and local development committees and key representatives of Romanian government and educational agencies, the VET…

A study examined the impacts of different education and training (E&T) assignments in Ohio's Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Training Program on the employment and earnings of Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients who became mandatory JOBS clients in 1989 or 1990. Data on the JOBS assignments and earnings and employment…

An evaluation was conducted of the Texas Food Stamp Employment and Training (FSE&T)/Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Program Conformance Demonstration. The BOND (Better Opportunities for New Directions) demonstration program tested conformance compatibility between the FSE&T and JOBS programs. It enacted such policy changes as…

In 1992, the U.S. Departments of Defense and Education jointly created a new high school program aimed at encouraging at-risk youth to remain in school until graduation. The program, which is a marriage of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and the comprehensive high school reform initiative known as career academies, was called…

This document contains four symposium papers on work force development. "Effects of Two Different Learning Paths on School-to-Work Transition" (Esther Van Der Schoot) discusses a Dutch study documenting that the following items make a difference in the school-to-work transition: learning path, curriculum characteristics, individual…

In this response to Charles Gagel's National Association of Industrial and Technical Teacher Educators (NAITTE) Membership Survey Report, the author states that the NAITTE of tomorrow cannot be the NAITTE of the past, as the organization is now feeling the effects of failing to change along with the field of teacher education. Of course, the…

The primary purpose of this study was to find out the attitudes of trainers and trainees towards the 8-4-4 power mechanics course offered in secondary schools in Kenya. The attitudes and other related aspects obtained from the trainers and trainees were used as evaluative devices for the course and hence the graduates of the course. A comparison…

This book contains 25 papers on vocational and adult education in Europe and the United States. The following papers are included: "Vocational and Adult Education in Europe: Introduction to the Volume" (Fons van Wieringen, Graham Attwell); "Introduction to Section 1: Markets and Institutions in Vocational and Adult Education"…

A project developed a model curriculum to be delivered by computer-based instruction to teach the required literacy skills for entry workers in the health insurance industry. Literacy task analyses were performed for the targeted jobs and then validated with focus groups. The job tasks and related basic skills were divided into modules. The job…

This report examines the operation and outcomes of Illinois' welfare programs in fiscal year 1995. The Illinois Department of Public Aid's new emphasis on providing incentives/assistance to move welfare recipients from welfare to work is explained. Next, the following programs are discussed: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Job…

The Quick Start Training Program is a transitional program that was developed to help the homeless population of El Paso, Texas, become self-sufficient through short-term vocational skills training. The program's occupational training component was designed to meet local training needs and was supplemented with activities to give participants…