The United States has no coherent strategy for helping noncollege-bound students develop the competence for middle-level jobs. The need for more emphasis on the needs of noncollege-bound students became apparent during the 1980s as less-educated workers began encountering more wage and employment difficulties and as occupations requiring…

Developed in response to changes in Australia's vocational education and training system to help maintain a skilled and adaptable workforce, this report examines principles and practices regarding arrangements for the recognition of prior learning (RPL) in Australia. The first section of the report discusses the context of report, highlights key…

A project studied use of assessment of prior experiential learning (APEL) in admissions to part-time degrees and diplomas at the University of Kent at Canterbury (England, United Kingdom). The APEL course was highlighted in brochures advertising part-time degree, diploma, and Access courses. Interviews with 40 applicants explained APEL and…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on career issues in organizations. "Learning During Downsizing: Stories from the Survivors" (Sharon J. Confessore) describes a study to demonstrate that survivors of corporate downsizings undertake learning activities and use many resources to accomplish the learning tasks.…

This self-instructional module, the eighth in a series of 16 on techniques for coordinating work experience programs, deals with developing and implementing training plans. Addressed in the module are the purposes and features of a training plan, developing a training plan, and implementing a training plan for each student in the program. The…

This handbook was designed to assist school administrators, vocational administrators, vocational agricultural teachers, and area consultants of vocational agriculture in developing, implementing, and improving an agricultural cooperative training program (especially in Texas). The handbook, which presents information in a narrative format,…

This document contains executive summaries that report on short-term projects undertaken as part of the U.S. Department of Labor's Apprenticeship 2000 initiative, the purpose of which is to determine the future role of apprenticeship in meeting needs for a skilled work force. The 13 studies are on the following subjects: (1) issues relating to…

A longitudinal followup study, entitled Project Student Employment Experiences (SEE), examined the long-term employment experiences of former vocational education students, especially special needs population students, and the long-term effects of their training. During the project, researchers collected a 3-year followup information file on their…

The Alternative Youth Employment Strategies (AYES) Project began as one of the demonstration projects funded under the Youth Employment and Demonstration Project Act in 1980. The program, which features three training models, is targeted toward high-risk, disadvantaged youth, especially minority youths from urban areas who had prior involvement…

This guide presents criteria for local evaluation of cooperative education programs. The first section of the guide defines cooperative education and sketches the elements that determine a cooperative education program. The second part of the evaluation guide contains components to be evaluated in cooperative education programs. Each component is…

Various factors, including an increase in the standard of living of the population throughout the Western industralized countries, the need for better-qualified workers, and the necessity of providing alternatives to unemployment for young people, have led to increased demands for training courses provided immediately after compulsory schooling.…

This module is one of a series of 127 performance-based teacher education (PBTE) learning packages focusing upon specific professional competencies of vocational teachers. The competencies upon which these modules are based were identified and verified through research as being important to successful vocational teaching at both the secondary and…

This guide to youth unemployment problems is based on the belief that a comprehensive system of program initiatives offers the best solutions. The principal focus is on vocationally at-risk youth. The first chapter defines and describes the target group, and outlines needs and appropriate responses. The second section describes the following eight…

This manual provides guidelines for establishing and conducting a cooperative vocational education program. The guide is organized in seven sections that provide information in narrative format on the following aspects of a cooperative education program: overview of the cooperative method of instruction, definitions, benefits of cooperative…

A study examined the effects of participation in three types of federal job programs--classroom training, on-the-job training, and work experience--on the postparticipation employment records of black and white men and women. Using data from the Continuous Longitudinal Manpower Survey, researchers examined the employment records of 3,420 black and…