This study assesses the human capital development and wage performance of low-income students from geographically isolated and substandard housing settlements known as colonias. The research follows Texas high school students from the classroom to employment over a span of two decades and, specifically, tracks the three border regions where most…

Working in some capacity is almost considered de rigueur for tertiary students. The reasons for working and the impact this has on both an individual's ability to complete their studies and on their post-study labour market outcomes are only recently receiving attention. Using the 1995 and 1998 cohorts of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian…

Describes two critical dimensions of work-based learning (WBL), firm-based versus school-based, and "learn-and-stay" versus "learn-and-go." Recommendations are offered for the design of new WBL in the light of empirical findings on the employment patterns of young people as they grow older. (SLD)

The paper discusses work training and employability of the mildly retarded in Australia, and reports on a pilot survey of patterns of employment of the mildly retarded. Employment prospects for the mentally handicapped are reviewed. Factors seen as influencing the employment of the mildly retarded include psychological variables, employer…

CLUSTERS OF KNOWLEDGES WIDELY USEFUL TO BUILDING TRADES WORKERS WERE IDENTIFIED. BY QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEWS, UP-TO-DATE FACTS WERE OBTAINED REGARDING MAJOR TYPES OF TASKS PERFORMED BY A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE (229) OF BRICK LAYERS, CARPENTERS, CEMENT FINISHERS, ELECTRICIANS, IRON WORKERS, AND HEATING WORKERS. ON THE BASIS OF THIS INFORMATION,…

These five papers deal with topics related to problems associated with transition from school to independent living for handicapped youth. "Individual Transition Plans: From Lip Service to Implementation" (Joseph Stowitschek, Cheryl Kelso) reports on a study to determine the extent to which individual transition planning is advocated by…

One promising practice for improving workplace preparation, apprenticeship, has been effective in preparing skilled workers for the changing needs of the workplace. Apprenticeship is a training strategy with eight components: it combines hands-on training on the job with related instruction; employer needs dictate programs; it is regulated by law;…

The 2-part document, published by the Mississippi Employment Security Commission, relates to the Smaller Communities Program conducted during 1969 to help alleviate employment problems in rural areas of Mississippi and to provide employment services in areas with varying economic problems. Based on data secured from Federal, state, and private…

This serial issue focusing on the theme of "School-to-Work." The two articles it contains describe promising practices that benefit individual students who participate. The first article, "Connecting the Dots: Linking School and Work to Accelerate Student Results," examines how schools and businesses are linking up, leading to benefits for…

The State of New York conducted a follow-up study of the 76,000 students who completed an occupational education program in New York in 1987. Students were followed up by mail and telephone interviews, with an overall rate of return of 67 percent. Some of the major findings of the study were the following: (1) for all occupational education…

The high school/student qualities that lead to a more successful school-to-work transition were investigated. The project identified features of the high school experience correlated with initial labor market success/failure of young workers and determined if the conditions of a successful transition have changed in the last decade. Data for the…

During the 1976-77 academic year, 231 students in career programs at Johnson County Community College either graduated or left the program with marketable skills. A follow-up of 188 of these students indicated the following: their average age was 27 (median, 23); 30% were 21 years of age or younger; 54% were females; 66% enrolled to acquire job…

A study explored the feasibility of using the New Youth Cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys of Labor Market Behavior (NLS Youth) database to examine the effects of vocational education on handicapped individuals. During the study, researchers examined the labor market experiences of 73 handicapped youths who manifested a self-reported…

This volume presents information on secondary vocational education compiled by the recently completed National Assessment of Vocational Education. Chapter 1 provides information about regional, district, and school-level availability of vocational education and the institutions that provide it. It reports the following: availability differs by…

Increasing concerns about the skill level of U.S. workers are driven by demographics, technological change, and international competition. Greater percentages of the labor force will be comprised of those groups that have traditionally faced the greatest barriers to full participation in the labor force. Rapid technological change is increasing…