It has become increasingly difficult to succeed in the U.S. workforce with only a high school diploma. While 75% of the middle-class workforce had only a high school education in the 1970s, that percentage dropped to below 40% by 2007. An estimated two-thirds of all jobs in 2020 will require some postsecondary training, up from just a quarter of…

Purpose: This paper seeks to investigate the provision of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Small Ethnic Minority Businesses (SEMBs) operating in the West Midlands region of the UK. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach is employed, involving in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 66 owner/managers of small ethnic minority…

To identify and assess the impact of the Urban Concentrated Employment Program (CEP) on 14 selected cities, each community was divided into the three major areas of potential impact--the general community, employers, and participants in the program. Data were obtained from interviews and mailed questionnaires. Several operational factors limited…

The history of distrust between vocational education and the Department of Labor manpower programs and the results of a national survey of CETA programs are reviewed. It is recommended that lines of communication be kept open, that differences and similarities between the programs be recognized, and that coordination be improved. (AJ)

THE VIRGINIA EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION IDENTIFIED AND CONTACTED 314 MEN FOR ENROLLMENT IN RETRAINING PROGRAMS. THESE MEN, AGES 21 TO 65, WERE COMPARED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF ENROLLMENT IN THE PROGRAMS. THE PROGRAMS WERE (1) A 52-WEEK COURSE IN BRICK MASONRY, AUTOMOBILE MECHANICS, SHEET METAL WORK, ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY, OR…