Higher education has increasingly turned to outsourcing to improve service in the face of declining resources. Outsourcing has traditionally been used to operate campus bookstores and dining services and has more recently become a legitimate option for additional campus functions, such as facilities operation, computer services, security, child…

Businesses are increasingly making inroads into the classroom, particularly in underfunded schools. The dramatic rise in commercial activities in schools has sparked intense public debate, triggering a U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) report and various regulatory attempts at district, state, and federal levels. This digest offers an overview…

What has come to be recognized as the classic model of the university is changing as a result of industry's new and emerging needs for knowledge, constant technological innovation, education's place in the economy, and diminishing funding. American industry recognizes that the skills of workers at all levels will need to improve continuously in…

Vocational educators, policymakers, and Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) service providers are developing an increasing awareness of the educational and economic benefits of joint planning and coordination between vocational education and the JTPA. However, some basic differences between the goals, planning procedures, and operating practices…

The gap between existing skills and desired or required skills is the impetus for the development of business/industry standards. Professional associations have taken the initiative in setting skill standards; state licensing exams are used to certify workers in some occupations. An impending work force crisis has triggered a demand for…

Using cable television in the classroom allows teachers to include the latest news and current events in class discussions. However, many educational practitioners are uninformed about the concept and lack the knowledge to implement the technology in the classroom. This digest describes how cable television can be integrated into elementary and…

In recent years, educational leaders have joined forces with businesses and community members to prepare students for a new, challenging labor market and, in so doing, are making major contributions to economic development. As the transition to the information age continues, the adaptable, creative student may provide the force to direct economic…

Corporate education is an extensive, multifaceted endeavor, costing billions of dollars, educating millions of people, and absorbing many working hours annually. Offerings range from remedial to postgraduate level management and technical courses. Corporate educators are fulfilling educational needs of nontraditional students, often before…

This digest examines the value of collaborations among businesses, community organizations, and educational institutions, and explores how partnerships create new opportunities and challenges. The benefits of collaborative efforts for community colleges include: (1) furthering access and services to local constituents; (2) bridging secondary…

Businesses are working with schools in ways that can affect every aspect of the education process. The most widespread form of business help takes place in the classrooms. School leaders need to be clear with themselves as to how much and what kind of involvement they want businesses to have in their schools. Business leaders can also help schools…

Business has begun to play a more active role in education, spurred on by the need of education to obtain alternate sources of funding and by the desire of business to reduce youth unemployment and educational deficiencies. Research has shown that a communication gap exists among business executives, educators, and students. Some…

In response to declining local and state appropriations for public education, community colleges have taken steps to formalize fundraising efforts by creating institutional foundations as recipients of tax-deductible contributions. Large-scale external fundraising at community colleges began as a result of the 1965 Higher Education Act and the…

Current issues are complex and funding is difficult to obtain as adult education providers try to meet the needs of the community, business, and industry; therefore, collaboration can be very advantageous. Information, ideas, and resources can be pooled, and duplication and harmful competition can be avoided. Four factors that are important for…

This digest examines reasons for youth unemployment and its effects, the counselor's role in school-to-work transitions, vocational adjustment, intervention strategies, and current needs. (BH)

Since the early 1980s, more and more businesses have been motivated to enter into business/education partnerships to improve the academic and technical skills of the future work force. In the one-to-one institutional partnership, the needs of one school and/or one business drive the agreement. As partnerships expand to involve multiple partners,…