Countries around the world have achieved huge gains in primary education, reaching a world average of 83.8 percent in net primary enrollment. However, large numbers of students still do not complete primary education, and even fewer continue on to secondary school. Since so few children complete primary school, those who do must be able to…

Modern Apprenticeships, which were introduced in 1994, allow young people in the United Kingdom who do not want to commit to full-time further education the chance to achieve a National Vocational Qualification in their field while continuing in employment. The different models for delivery of Modern Apprenticeships that have been developed in…

The effects of attending an urban career magnet high school were examined by comparing the career development of 51 graduates of 4 career magnet high schools and 59 graduates of 4 comprehensive high schools in a large city. Subjects were drawn from a database through a random assignment and matching process. All 110 graduates were surveyed using…

Despite professional counseling and courses on career choice in school, students say they are poorly prepared to meet society's challenges. This digest looks at a career counseling initiative in Canada that unites the academic world and the workplace. Clearer ties must be established between education and the workplace; in the collaboration-based,…

These three keynote speeches from a European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) seminar "Research on Vocational Education and Training in Europe" focus on the links between education, training, work, and economic growth. "Education and Training Policies in the Transition towards a Global Information Society: Needs and…

This publication features profiles of 25 outstanding school reform programs at Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. These innovative schools have captured various aspects of school reform that encompass more challenging, real world curricula; school-to-work transitions; new ways of assessing student achievement; higher order thinking and…

Data collated by the University of Sussex (England) Institute for Employment Studies were examined to identify trends and issues in higher education (HE) and the graduate labor market in the United Kingdom. The analysis focused on the following: higher education and the changing graduate labor market; the traditional pool of candidates for HE;…

Selected issues of concern to second-level enrolled (registered) nurses in the United Kingdom were examined through national surveys of two groups: (1) a random sample of 21,762 of the 115,459 nurses holding second-level registration in the United Kingdom, and (2) 700 employers who, included nurse executive directors in all National Health Service…

This guide is intended to help educators understand, develop, and implement workplace simulations for students in grades K-12. The introduction examines the role of simulation in integrated school-to-work programs. Discussed first are the following aspects of the workplace simulations model on which the simulations are based: educational premises…

This document explains the DACUM (Developing A Curriculum) process for analyzing task-based jobs to: identify where standard operating procedures are required; identify duplicated low value added tasks; develop performance standards; create job descriptions; and identify the elements that must be included in job-specific training programs. The…

The questions of how managers learn and what kind of learning really makes a difference in managers' development were examined through case studies during which some 60 managers from five well-known organizations (a large private sector firm, the British Post Office, a British government department, Britain's open university, and a British large…

This curriculum guide, developed in South Carolina, provides opportunities for students to develop positive attitudes toward work, learn about occupations, and seek and retain employment. It is based on the competencies and foundations identified by the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS). The guide's four units cover…

A study assessed the characteristics and practices of employers participating in Florida school-to-work (STW) initiatives, the factors influencing their participation, and the quality and value of their partnerships with schools. Data were gathered through a statewide mail survey of a random sample of employers drawn from more than 15,000 Florida…

An exploratory study was conducted to evaluate the utility of a method to demonstrate that Australian enterprises that invest in the training of their employees gain a return from that investment through an increase in employee productivity. The method, which compares enterprise expenditure on training of personnel with labor productivity across a…

The informal vocational learning experiences of 13 young Australians preparing for the transition from school to work were examined. At the time of their interview, all 13 youths were students at a hybrid educational site in the Sydney metropolitan area that allows students to combine general education with vocational qualifications and experience…