While young people are generally better educated today than ever before, recent graduates tend to lack practical skills -- especially digital skills. Certification programs offer one effective way to address this digital skills gap. They give learners a way to gain the skills they need to compete, and also to demonstrate credibly that they possess…

The Indiana Workforce Proficiency Panel was established to work with the business, labor, and education sectors to identify a common set of essential skills and technical proficiencies for major occupational areas. The process used by the Panel for setting state standards employs five steps, involving three meetings of a State Technical Committee…

Increased global competition and rapidly changing labor markets are providing a new imperative for relevance and quality assurance in education. This imperative is driving a consensus around the need for standards that link the content of education and training to the demands of the workplace. The national framework for improving relevance and…

This report summarizes findings of a team of U.S. business, labor, and public policy representatives that visited Denmark and Great Britain in Fall 1993 to study innovations in the education and training of young people for work. An executive summary and introduction are followed by two main sections that present findings from the visits. Each…

This report describes current systems and procedures for certification in France. An introduction makes brief reference to the characteristics of the general and vocational training systems. Part 1 provides details of the respective powers of the various bodies and authorities involved in the establishment of certification procedures. It examines…

This report profiles the systems, structures, and procedures for the assessment of competencies and awarding of qualifications in the vocational education and training sectors in Ireland. An introduction briefly describes the Irish education and vocational training system. Chapter 1 profiles the main awarding bodies in Ireland in second-level,…

This report describes systems and procedures for the certification of qualifications and skills in Luxembourg. All areas of education and the various levels of training are covered. An introduction offers an overview of the characteristics of the Luxembourg education system, including funding and structure. Section 2 describes systems of training…

This report describes current systems and procedures for certification in Germany. An introduction makes brief reference to the characteristics of the general and vocational training systems. Section 1 contains a preliminary explanation. Section 2 describes the German educational system. Section 3 is a typology of examinations and certificates…

This report describes current systems and procedures for certification in Denmark. An introduction makes brief reference to the characteristics of the general and vocational training systems. Section 1 addresses formulation and introduction of certificates, qualifications, and diplomas, including the relevant institutions, procedures, and…

This monograph describes the various approaches to vocational training in Ireland. The report was compiled from existing statistics, various studies, and interviews with representatives of all the organizations, colleges, companies, and institutes involved in vocational training. Section 1 provides background information on political structures,…

This interim report presents the framework for classifying competency-based initiatives developed by the NPEC (National Postsecondary Education Cooperative) Working Group. Section 1 presents a structure for classifying competency initiatives based upon student progression into, within, and from postsecondary education. Key applications of…

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for work force preparation program providers, details the Illinois occupational skill standards for programs preparing students for employment in occupations in the in-store retailing cluster. The document begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skill standards…

This document details Wisconsin's state plan for implementation of activities mandated by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 and funded by a grant from the National School-to-Work Opportunities Act. The plan is divided into 23 sections dealing with the following topics: geographical areas; local support/expansion of school-to-work…

This annotated bibliography is designed to inform vocational education and training specialists in Europe of new publications on lifelong learning. The 394 publications included are organized into four sections. Section 1 is organized by the following key themes: (1) skill development (literacy, learning to learn); (2) human and financial…

This document, which is intended to serve as a guide for workforce preparation program providers, details the Illinois Occupational Skill Standards for programs preparing students for employment as entry-level truck drivers. The document begins with a brief overview of the Illinois perspective on occupational skill standards and credentialing, the…