Concerns about adaptation of the German apprenticeship model for the United States include (1) potential to intensify college-bound/noncollege-bound tracking; (2) importance of local-level commitment in the United States; and (3) national standards and accountability measures. The German system could be transformed at the local level rather than…

This article reviews U.S. federal legislation mandating collaborative transition planning between schools and adult service providers. The Collaborative Transition Model, a six-stage interdisciplinary approach which relates vocational assessment activities to instruction, is offered as one example of a formal transition system being implemented in…

Compares the perspectives of more experienced art directors and copywriters to those of newer ones, on such topics as the skills educators should incorporate in advertising courses, electives that benefit aspiring "creatives," and techniques creatives used to secure their jobs. (SR)

One year after graduation, 38.2% of a sample of 2,214 bachelor's degree graduates responded to a survey; sample was reduced to 378 working in for-profit organizations. Wide variability was apparent in socialization experiences and adaptation strategies; many were ambivalent about remaining. Results suggest a need to address new employee…

A survey of 859 entry-level workers from 8 European countries employed as machine operators and office technology workers identified the processes that account for the development of career-enhancing strategies and job content innovations. Supervisor or coworker relations and intrinsic work values were most important. (SK)

Washington is one of several states adopting the Certificate of Initial Mastery, certifying that high school students have attained a high standard of achievement in core academic subjects and applied learning. The New Standards Partnership, comprising 17 member states and 6 school districts, has been developing the certificate system. State…

Thanks to a student teacher's efforts, a fourth-grade class in Montgomery County, Maryland, spent half a day touring Bell Atlantic's facilities. Each student's most treasured memory was lunching with a Bell Atlantic employee "buddy" and visiting his or her work station. Children's thank you letters expressed their gratitude for…

Employs reverse tracer techniques to identify alternative training paths for selected skilled and semiskilled occupations in Colombia. Shows that workers pursue various alternative training paths to acquire essential occupational skills. Strong public intervention in training markets should be discouraged, as choices would be narrowed and the…

Refutes Grubb's conclusions that two-year college students who do not complete degrees earn more than high school graduates and that degrees only indirectly lead to higher earnings. Shows that even noncompleters earn significantly more. Grubb responds that it matters what kind of college credits noncompleters earn. (SK)

Flexible systems for assessing job readiness need to be used in conjunction with national skill standards projects. For example, the Career-Technical Assessment Program (C-TAP) conducted by Far West Laboratory, is a performance-based assessment and certification system that measures vocational program, generic workplace readiness, and foundation…

Argues for intensive and ongoing career planning assistance for all age groups to ensure the development of people resources to meet Canada's economic needs. Points out the economic consequences of inadequate planning. (LKS)

Drawing on interviews with Japanese company managers and workers, describes the basis for the education-work relationship in Japan and the policy implications for employers' role in work-force development. In Japan, work-force development emphasizes employers' active role in promoting internal skill development through extensive within-company…

As a result of the "risk society" (in which career and adult transitions are less orderly and predictable), young people have adopted various transition behaviors--strategic, step-by-step, taking chances, and wait-and-see--as they follow different paths: higher education, training for skilled or semiskilled occupations, unskilled…

Discusses shifts in education and employment training policies and their implications for transition services for special needs populations. Looks at major laws supporting transition from school to work, postsecondary education, and independent adult life, and explores the implications of these reforms for the future of transition programs for…

In the United Kingdom, vocational education and training are dominated by competence approaches that seek to regulate behavior through outcomes. In Germany, they serve the broader purpose of education for citizenship. Narrow competency-based education does not develop critical skills or cultivate a sense of shared autonomy. (SK)