The national qualifications framework (NQF) in South Africa has been seen internationally as one of the most, if not "the" most, ambitious qualifications frameworks. Support for the NQF at its inception was described as "extraordinary". It aimed to replace all existing qualifications in the country with a set of new…

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a "first generation" qualifications framework that was established in 1995. Its purpose was to create "a comprehensive, nationally consistent yet flexible framework for all qualifications in post-compulsory education and training." It encompasses all post-compulsory…

The design of the national qualifications framework (NQF) in Lithuania started in 2006. The NQF was officially approved by the government decree in May 2010. This article explores the influence of the processes of institutional change on the reform of the national system of qualifications in Lithuania through the implementation of the NQF, looking…

Finland's traditionally closed system of higher education, in which continuing education has been segregated into special centers, must address the reality of reduced resources and consider incorporating continuing education into the university. Establishment of a separate vocational higher education institution could further diversify the system.…

Macomb Community College (MCC) in Warren, Michigan, has a commitment to support business and industrial development, consequent employee retraining, and program design. In addition to helping workers in their retraining and/or relocation, the college provides systematic support in the development of basic skills. Occupational programs have tended…

This collection of comments consists of four chapters of informal remarks by trustees, educators, and students from various types and sizes of institutions with innovative mainstreaming programs for handicapped students in postsecondary vocational education programs. Chapter 1 contains comments by nine individuals (students and administrators) on…

The 14 Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)-funded youth employment programs to which the Academy for Educational Development (AED) has delivered technical assistance for the past 5 years illustrate several important conditions for effective programming and "best practices" in the field of youth employment and training. Four of the JTPA…

This report, which is intended for technical institutions planning to use benchmark processes to facilitate change, contains five benchmarking studies describing future-oriented practices at two-year technical and community colleges that meet the design specifications stated in the report "New Designs for the Two-Year Institution of Higher…

This book examines and illustrates the process of transforming school-to-work into real learning for real work. In chapter 1, guidelines are presented for designing project-based learning programs that are both academically rigorous and grounded in community and workplace realities, and the attempts of three very different high schools to develop…

The problem of social exclusion in Poland was examined along with possible strategies for combating social exclusion through vocational education and training (VET). The examination began with an analysis of the special needs of individuals who have reduced opportunities within the labor market and/or are members of national and ethnic minorities.…