This report is part of the Investing in People Project, in which states worked to develop and implement work force preparation and training strategies to meet the challenge of a competitive global economy. The choices that states, firms, and individuals must make in order to enjoy a high standard of living are discussed. In order to achieve a high…

This bulletin describes practitioner-identified strategies that can help build effective school-to-work systems in rural areas. The first section highlights these strategies for rural school-to-work partnerships: start early; identify educational and economic opportunities in the community; entrepreneurial experiences; community service-learning;…

The United States should provide all young people entering the work force with opportunities to develop productive careers. Despite that fact, the nation's schools fail to equip many young people with appropriate skills, the job market often fails to link them to long-term advancement-oriented employment, and their communities often provide few…

Assessing students for workplace readiness requires that schools know what skills and knowledge students need to succeed at work and how to foster their acquisition. Having seen that the educational systems of global competitors provided them with a significant advantage over the United States, policymakers have attempted to address some…

As a result of new legislation, experiments in school and workplace cooperation have been set up in Quebec in order to improve the relationship between the two entities and provide more vocational education options to youth. Five sections of recommendations are being implemented: (1) partnership protocol between an academic establishment and an…

As part of a study which is following college graduates for 5 years, a survey of 2,264 graduates of York University (Ontario, Canada) who received B.A. degrees in 1995-96 shows that within 3 months of graduation, 54 percent of those seeking full-time employment had achieved this objective. The factors considered included background…

Education is the largest, most broadly based enterprise in America. Education, although a national priority, is a state responsibility under local control. This brochure highlights the United States Department of Education's responsibilities, which generally fall into the following six areas: (1) providing national leadership and building…

A project was conducted to develop mechanisms for stimulating demand for continuing professional development (CPD) among young professionals in North West England. A mixed sample of 154 young professionals were surveyed; they engaged in a range of development activities, including 20 regional seminars that were attended by 65 of those who…

In December 1987, Motorola's MOS 5 Microprocessor Manufacturing Facility and Merex Corporation began a joint workplace literacy training project. MOS 5 had three basic objectives: to assess the level of the work materials, to assess the skill level of the work force, and to close the gap between the two. Merex designed an educational program to…

In 1992, a study was conducted at Grossmont College (GC) in El Cajon, California, to determine employment positions and incomes of former students who had left/graduated during the 3 academic years 1985-86, 1986-87, and 1987-1988 and had been enrolled in one of the following 11 vocational education programs: Accounting, Administration and Justice,…

This paper highlights the centrality and importance of quality guidance and counseling programs in national efforts to implement educational reform. Such reform is essential for excellence in the initial preparation and skill development of youth and adults to ensure the country's competitive position in world markets and to improve work role…

This issue of "Transition Summary" was developed to assist Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams in planning for successful transitions from high school into independent adulthood by students with disabilities. Definitions of transition services within federal law are first explored and legal implications for the IEP team are…

The Anchorage Workplace Literacy (AWL) program was designed to train adult workers who have inadequate basic skills. The "Skill Books Go to Work" model developed in a previous National Workplace Literacy Program was used and modified as needed for the job-specific environments of nine business partners. Job task analyses were done at the…

Twenty-three transition programs for high school students with disabilities in Minnesota are profiled. These programs were selected because they applied a set of 10 quality standards developed to improve the transition process and adult outcomes for students, as well as to increase the cost effectiveness and efficiency of transition services and…

This proceedings document provides the texts of 13 presentations given at a 2-day conference in 1991 which focused on policies, materials, programs, and activities being implemented in Alabama to foster the successful transition of youth with disabilities to adult life. Two papers address the national scene: "Transition: Old Wine in New…