HRD (human resources development) is tackled by the author, who argues against HRD's psychological construct; the assumption that for every problem, there is a theoretical and workable solution; teamwork as opposed to individualism; listening as a discrete skill; if it's Japanese, it's better; and HRD's theory of leadership. (CT)

The author focuses on one particular systems approach, succession planning, and the role of the manager in this process. The manager's role in a career counseling session is spelled out in several steps. The importance of training workshops is also examined. (CT)

The tasks of the European Social Fund, the European Economic Community's social policy instrument, were reviewed in l983 in the light of the worsening unemployment situation and the priority placed on employment and vocational training policies. (Author/SSH)

Contrary to reports, high technology is not likely to add large numbers of jobs for highly educated and trained persons. A policy of recurrent education must be established so that individuals can move from the workplace to retraining programs and back. (MLW)

England is bringing education and work sectors together through government coordinating agencies and Industrial Training Boards to ensure national economic survival. American adaptation of the English model requires careful thought and some experimentation. The community college would play a key role in such a new structure. (Author/JDS)

This report is part of Advancement for Low-Wage Workers: A Series of Reports from Jobs for the Future. Jobs for the Future develops models, strategies, and policies that enable adults to advance toward economic self-sufficiency for themselves and their families. Drawing on innovative workforce development efforts around the country, our…

Few fields of service command as much public attention as child welfare. Workforce development is often a less visible yet critical response to service delivery crises and efforts to improve child and family outcomes. In the late 1980s, a campaign was undertaken to rebuild public child welfare systems with trained social workers. The subsequent…

This document presents the findings of a Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) survey that asked employers to assess the skills of specific graduates employed and to provide detailed information about the jobs held by those graduates. The results were utilized to inform curricula decisions and satisfy a state program review mandate. Surveys…

Debates on skill shortages and the aging of the population have markedly increased the attention given to Vocational Education and Training (VET) and to Technical and Further Education (TAFE). New roles for VET include new products, pedagogy and partnerships with industry, all with implications for staff development. TAFE has particular…

It is no longer realistic or viable for HRD to be isolated from the broader context of workforce development. Organizations, where HRD has been traditionally situated, have begun to realize the ominous workforce challenge that lies ahead--especially related to ensuring literate and skilled adults in the future. It is very important for HRD…

In the context of on-going economic reforms in the People's Republic of China, the paucity of management resources is widely recognized as a major obstacle to the country's endeavor toward modernization. This review of the literature explores pressing issues facing Chinese managers and current solutions being provided at the national,…

Institutionalizing organizational change has emerged as an issue among organization researchers and managers alike. Institutionalization of change is derived from change management theory in its emphasis on understanding the roots of organizational success and failure. The field of HRD appears particularly poised to help organizations…

HRD Cohort Graduate programs are a proven approach in developing a learning community among graduate students and creating a developmental culture, which foster learning transfer. During this innovative session, we will examine the characteristics of Cohort Graduate programs, discuss their advantages, discuss how they can be developed, marketed,…

This paper presents a conceptual model intended to expand existing executive coaching processes used in organizations by building the strategic learning capabilities needed to integrate a diversity perspective into this emerging field of HRD practice. This model represents the early development of results from a Diversity Practitioner Study…

Over the past five years, the number of individuals engaging in online learning as well as the number of online course offering has grown exponentially. At the same time, outcome research on online learning design is sparse. This paper describes the development of a constructivist learning environment scorecard and explores its usefulness in…