The rapid growth and modernization of economies in developing countries like Botswana creates new and unmet demands for certain kinds of educated and skilled labour. The expansion of secondary and tertiary school systems has also created a problem of unemployed school leavers. The growth of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs),…

This document contains papers presented at a seminar to explore how the U.S. economy has created 30 million jobs since the early 1970s, while most European countries have barely managed to keep their labor force employed. The following papers are included: "Job Creation in the United States: Some Facts and Figures" (Sibille); "Unanswered…

Productivity is a central issue these days in any discussion about the economy. However, there is much more talk about productivity than there is real knowledge. We need a clear understanding of what direction productivity improvement efforts will take and what efforts are required to retrain the existing work force. (SSH)

A conceptual framework for school-based vocational education and training (VET) in Australia is based on a United States model. It implies VET has purposes beyond equipping young people with skills. Global themes in VET development are government use of VET as an economic and social policy tool to ensure skilled workforces; provision of VET…

The goal of building bridges between the Pacific Basin and the United States can be accomplished by focusing on economic considerations. Trade agreements, business and university collaborations, and the mobility of populations between the Pacific Basin and the United States serve as examples of common experiences and cooperation. As education in…

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…

A study assessed how to improve individual informed decision making by various actors in the arena of skills formation in Great Britain on the basis of existing research knowledge. Since individual decisions are situated in a complex institutional arena, two of the most important contextual relationships--schools and employers--were analyzed prior…

A study examined needs of client groups--industry, enterprises, regions, and individuals--and their consequences for policy and practice within Australian vocational education and training (VET). The requirements for VET in the food processing and clerical industry sectors were examined in three regions across Australia. The study comprised five…

Vocational education and training (VET) has a fundamental role to play in enabling Australia's successful transition to the information economy. Competitive advantage can be supported by intelligent competition and creative collaboration. Governments have played the fundamental role in building a coordinated VET system in Australia and in helping…

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,…

This report presents findings of an investigation of the design of programs and systems that prepare young people for work in Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. An introduction and overview of investigating programs and options for youth employment preparation are followed by a discussion of indicators embodied in a high quality program in…

Australia's Framing the Future (FTF) project was designed to develop a model of staff development to support implementation of the National Training Framework (NTF). A survey of FTF project managers found these long-term impacts: implementation of training packages and other aspects of NTF, new forms of collaboration between industry and training…

This publication is a resource for people who are involved in Australia's Framing the Future work-based learning project teams. It is a compendium that outlines project processes and provides useful hints and lessons learned by others through their experience. Six parts address the six steps in a project. Part 1, on the proposal, covers possible…

This document contains 19 papers and case studies, in English and Korean, from a conference on national strategies for developing human resources through technical and vocational education and training. The following are representative: "The Need to Innovate and Optimize Resources [Keynote]" (Wataru Iwamoto); "School to Work…

The report, requested of six experts appointed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), (1) surveys the relations between the educational system and working life in the light of social objectives in the 24 OECD countries in the 1970's, and (2) advises those countries, proposing subjects and methods of cooperation…