To become employed, upper-secondary vocational graduates need adequate competences that correspond with the needs of working life, particularly with the expectations of their potential employers. However, research on the necessary competences of upper-secondary vocational education and training (VET) students is limited. This study examined what…

This supplement to the California Business Education Program Guide for Office and Distributive Occupations is designed to assist office education teachers of secondary, postsecondary, and adult students to update their business education curricula in light of new technology and increasing demand for skilled office workers. Focusing on word…

This supplement to the California Business Education Program Guide for Office and Distributive Occupations is designed to assist office education teachers of secondary, postsecondary, and adult students to update their business education curricula in light of new technology and increasing demand for skilled office workers. Focusing on banking and…

This article examines the goals of secondary vocational education, considers the validity of those goals in light of the existing educational climate, and assesses the extent to which vocational education is meeting those goals. Recommendations are made. (MT)

This supplement to the California Business Education Program Guide for Office and Distributive Occupations is designed to assist office education teachers of secondary, postsecondary, and adult students to update their business education curricula in light of new technology and increasing demand for skilled office workers. Focusing on the legal…

A number of important issues must be addressed during the process of graduation competency identification. Each school system must determine what it means by the term competency before identifying a set of graduation requirements. Graduation competencies may emphasize school subject skills, basic skills, or skills needed in everyday life. Life…

This supplement to the California Business Education Program Guide for Office and Distributive Occupations is designed to assist office education teachers of secondary, postsecondary, and adult students to update their business education curricula in light of new technology and increasing demand for skilled office workers. Focusing on medical…

Three different competency-based vocational programs were analyzed to investigate how competencies are determined, how the programs are organized, and how students are evaluated. Results show that there is no set method for producing a high quality competency-based program. (CH)

This competency analysis profile lists 155 competencies that have been identified by employers as core competencies for inclusion in programs to train forest industry and resource conservation workers. The core competencies are organized into 10 units dealing the following: general safety precautions, natural resource industry operations, soil…

A study was conducted to determine who has the responsibility for teaching general occupational and consumer competencies--the home, the school, or the workplace. To answer this question, two national surveys on functional competencies in occupational adaptability and consumer economics were conducted. Competencies were first identified and then…

One of seven sections of a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence, this chapter examines the issue of certification from the perspective of the consumer of services performed by the individual possessing the credential. To provide an understanding of the current practice of competence assessment as a component of…

The Johnsburg High School (McHenry, Illinois) curriculum project was designed to accomplish the following eight objectives: (1) develop a competency curriculum guide for a graphic arts program that will provide lessons for the instructor to use to implement this program; (2) determine job competencies, including minimum competencies for job entry;…

No strong tradition of establishing worker skill standards exists in the United States. The private and public sectors are still struggling with the language used to describe skills necessary for success in the workplace and with the emphasis that should be placed on job-specific and general skills. Information for this paper was obtained…

A project was undertaken to identify, develop, and validate those performance, program, and personal standards judged necessary to operate and evaluate a quality automobile mechanic/technician training program. Included among the project activities were the following: (1) a review of existing literature on performance and program standards; (2)…

Focusing on the competency based education movement (CBE), this chapter is one of seven sections of a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence. The chapter begins by reviewing the prominent CBE programs, their institutional objectives, and how competencies are identified and assessed. In particular, the degree to which…