Reported here is a four-county project that creates exploratory and job-training opportunities by providing services to schools. (Editor)

A study was conducted to identify and analyze the involvement of secondary vocational education and business and industry in joint partnership agreements in Tennessee. Vocational administrators (n=94), teachers (n=53), and business and industry persons (n=22) responded to questionnaires, representing response rates of 81%, 77%, and 39%…

An analysis conducted by the state of Washington showed that the new jobs of the future will require workers with skills acquired in technical areas, but not college degrees. The analysis suggests that the present educational system is not producing an adequate supply of such workers and that more nontraditional workers will have to be recruited…

This study was conducted to secure adequate data to support the need for the issuance of competency certificates to graduates of Oklahoma vocational and technical education programs. A questionnaire was developed to determine the perceptions of teachers and employers regarding the competency statements and to see if using such certificates would…

This report explores promising welfare-to-work programs and practices of states and localities as they balance supply- with demand-side strategies to help welfare recipients and low-wage workers work their way out of poverty while meeting employers' needs for reliable workers. Chapter 2 describes the new environment created by changes in the…

A study was conducted to identify areas of teacher and program needs in the state of Tennessee in order to plan for the future. Five secondary school systems were selected from each of the seven developmental districts in the state, for a total sample of 35 representative systems. From these 35 systems, 419 (of 587) vocational personnel completed…

A study was conducted to determine the types of training and educational levels desired for entry-level employees in Tennessee and to obtain employer ratings of entry-level work skills for Tennessee vocational education graduates as compared to nonvocational education graduates. Additionally, 61 Tennessee employers identified by school districts…

A study was conducted to assess the potential use of available supply/demand data in planning for secondary vocational education programs in Tennessee. Literature was reviewed for ideas and an analysis was made of the data in the Tennessee Occupational Information System (TOIS). In addition, expert opinion was collected from a selected group of 12…

This issue comprises seven articles that share ways Equipped for the Future's (EFF's) partners are using EFF to help adults build the skills they need to be successful in the workforce. "Building and Certifying Work Readiness" discusses the Work Readiness Credential being developed that will define, measure, and certify that individuals…

Selected state and local experiments in developing/supporting workplace-centered training programs were analyzed to identify issues relevant to developing a national policy for workplace training. Intensive case studies of state economic development/training programs in California and Illinois and the employment and training programs provided by…

California's school-to-career (STC) efforts were examined in a statewide evaluation study that was initiated in December 2000 and scheduled for completion by June 2002. The study's first phase was assessed in an interim report that focused on the following major activities: (1) development of a white paper describing the STC's national and state…