The main goal of the secondary vocational education system is to fulfill the staffing needs of the Russian economy. The only way that we can effectively deliver on this objective is by ensuring there is a well-coordinated and stable system in place that allows vocational schools to cooperate with businesses. This article reviews how this…

This study provides a critical appraisal of intermediaries in demand-driven workforce development. In San Francisco East Bay, an emerging set of workforce intermediaries -- here called the "Skills Brokers" -- recently take issue in alleged Skills Gaps to create a cross-sector reform agenda. They seek to connect the supply and demand for…

The article explores the major features of the Swedish Government's new initiative--a school based Upper Secondary Apprenticeship model. The analyses are guided by activity theory. The analysed texts are part of the parliamentary reform-making process of the 2011 Upper Secondary School reform. The analyses unfold how the Government, the Swedish…

The article explores the major features of the Swedish Government's new initiative--a school based Upper Secondary Apprenticeship model. The analyses are guided by activity theory. The analysed texts are part of the parliamentary reform-making process of the 2011 Upper Secondary School reform. The analyses unfold how the Government, the Swedish…

Adult education's mission is a critical one. It seeks to provide the large and diverse population of adults who lack basic skills, a high school credential, or English language skills with the competencies they need to be productive workers, family members, and citizens. Federally funded adult education serves learners in three types of programs:…

Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 directs the federal government to conduct a national assessment of adult education, including activities to understand the extent to which adult education strategies positively affect learners. A systematic review of the research on the effectiveness of particular strategies in adult…

This document records testimony from a hearing held to examine ways to help students succeed by strengthening the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. Member statements were presented by: (1) Honorable John Kline, Chairman, Committee on Education and the Workforce; and (2) Honorable Robert C. Scott, Ranking Member, Committee on…

Korea's developmental skill formation system was shaped in the 1970s by the Korean developmental state that proactively sought rapid Heavy and Chemical Industrialisation as the nation's overarching goal. Vocational education at the upper secondary level and post-school in-company training in particular were strategically nurtured and closely…

Problems affecting the operation of the Nigerian Skills Acquisition Programme, a secondary school vocational program, were studied through the questionnaire responses of 105 trainees, 50 parents, and 10 administrators. Responses were generally favorable, with some specific suggestions for funding and additional technical and safety equipment. (SLD)

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a report on secondary education by the Japanese Central Advisory Council on Education. In the light of global educational trends, the Council was unanimous in its opinion that Japanese secondary education needed reform. The fundamental problems in Japan are these: (1)…

Although education is the key to labor market success, it never has been a sufficient condition for that goal. In addition to the changing educational attainment of U.S. workers, the shifts in the demographic composition of the labor force and in the very conditions and expectations of the workplace have made the task of efficient use of labor a…

Although most people agree that not enough entry workers possess the skills required for success in the workplace, few individuals are able to articulate clearly why and where the skills gap occurs. Despite the popularity of blaming schools and curricula, little hard evidence exists to support the claim that U.S. secondary school performance is…

The Texas Skills Development Program (TSDP) is a key long-term strategy of the Smart Jobs initiative that will assist Texas business, industry, and labor in conveying job skill requirements to the public education and training system. Employers feel that job applicants do not have the basic reading, writing, and computation skills they need. TSDP…

The article reveals philosophical, social, and practical difficulties with ongoing governmental policy in vocational education, focusing on the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, which is designed to construct a national transition system administered at state and local levels. Alternative approaches are suggested. (SM)

The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) was asked to examine the demands of the workplace and determine whether young people are capable of meeting these demands. Six panels were established to examine all manners of jobs from manufacturing to government employment and conduct in-depth interviews with workers in a wide…