There are more than 60 million U. S. adults who lack a high school diploma. Their employability is decreasing, due to the upswing in white collar occupations. Also, they are often barred from the skilled and unskilled labor market; on-the-job training is increasingly academic; General Educational Development (GED) examinations are rigorous and the…

To address the findings of the Kirby Review (that early school leaving is motivated by a desire for work and lack of interest in school), a new qualification, the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) was introduced on a trial basis in 2002. The Northern Metropolitan Institute of TAFE (NMIT) Youth Unit offers programs at three northern…