Trends in Australia and the United Kingdom indicate that full employment is unlikely to exist. Current policies tend to reinforce labor market inequalities. Adult educators should attempt to resolve longstanding issues related to the overall values and purposes of adult education and the strategies needed to empower those disadvantaged in or…

Reviews the unsuccessful efforts of Guyana to relate its educational programs more directly to the work environment. Finds that the failure is directly related to the nature of the unemployment situation and the wage level. Concludes that it is impossible to educate people in an area that they do not see as being in their best interest. (JOW)

Presents new estimates of social rates of return to high school and four-year college education (1967-88), based on microeconomic U.S. census data. Estimates are compared with real rates of return to investment in plant and equipment and in housing since 1947. Rates of return for investment in high school and plant and equipment are similar. (25…

A study compared critical thinking ability and values in 32 associate degree nurses, 32 baccalaureate degree nurses, 32 nursing faculty, and 32 sophomore nursing students. The critical thinking ability of the faculty was not significantly higher than that of the students when controlled for age; the values of the nurses were similar. (JOW)

Discusses the importance of effective listening and problems in the listening process. Presents a matrix evaluating 18 listening inventories on 8 criteria: cost effectiveness, educational use, business use, reliability, validity, adult audience, high school audience, and potential barriers. (JOW)

To compete more effectively in the global economy, the U.S. must reorganize the way people work in stores, factories, and elsewhere. Two factors hinder production of a highly educated work force: lack of a clear standard of achievement and insufficient student motivation. A new educational performance standard (Certificate of Initial Mastery) is…

An effective transition from school to work does not suddenly begin when students have completed their vocational programs. The key to successful programs is having the private sector become a partner in the occupational training of youth. (JOW)

Reports survey results of U.S. and European aerospace engineers concerning the kinds of communication products they actually use, the kinds they produce, and recommendations they would offer designers of academic courses. Recommends relevant faculty work and educational background, advisory boards, professional contacts, research, and feedback as…

A survey of 96 administrative heads of business education programs in New York City Public Schools received 73 replies regarding faculty, student enrollment, the status of curriculum offerings and instructional practices, frequency of course offerings, and respondents' perceptions about the career value of courses offered. (Author/JOW)

Demonstrates the growth of occupations that require the greatest amount of education and training and examines data on occupational growth rates and concludes that the Bureau of Labor Statistics' recent projections of occupational employment growth suffer from the same bias. (Author/JOW)

Defines dimensions of vocational thoughtfulness: transfer of learning, situated learning, and learning from experts who shape culture. Outlines potential areas of inquiry--empirical, interpretive, and critical. (SK)

Responses from 334 of 496 college graduates (32% in co-op) and 219 of 334 in a 6-month follow-up revealed that co-op participants used more effective learning techniques and varied sources and had quicker adjustment to their new jobs. Nonco-op graduates relied on organizationally sanctioned sources and were relatively naive and inexperienced. (SK)

Critical pedagogy is based on examination of cultural values that expose inequities in society, with the goal of student empowerment. Empowered vocational students can bring a humanizing ethic to the work world with their understanding of the sociocultural characteristics of work. (SK)

School-to-work transition for non-college-bound youth can best be accomplished through an apprenticeship model that blends vocational and academic education in high school, gives students meaningful work experiences, and continues job training after graduation. (SK)

Compared to other countries, the United States spends less for the transition from school to work of non-college-bound students. Costs of such training need to be viewed as an investment in productivity and competitiveness and in a better outlook for this forgotten group. (SK)