Presents excerpts from interviews from a variety of professionals from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Denmark examining the role of early childhood professionals in the global economy. Suggests that increasingly, systems and products, expertise, and support will flow freely across national boundaries. Gradually, all early childhood…

Addresses issues related to the evaluation of community colleges' economic development efforts, describing the context for evaluation in terms of the external environment and college management/governance; practical realities guiding evaluation; steps in designing an evaluation programs; and the application of results to decision making. (DMM)

A survey of 141 California personnel preparation programs for the major disciplines providing early intervention services found that coursework and practica experiences varied greatly across programs, both within and across disciplines. Survey results also indicated that programs provide relatively little training that is specific to early…

Twenty-three leaders in education, business, and government give their opinions on vocational education leadership, standards, business-education links, tech prep, misguided reforms, and integration of vocational and academic education. (SK)

Compares the relationship between level of vocational qualifications in the work force and manufacturing productivity in Great Britain, Germany, and other European countries. Discusses the need for British vocational certification procedures within the education system; such components have raised skill levels and reduced dropout rates in France…

Discusses problems of work force quality in the United States in the 1990s, strategies for managerial response to these problems, and sources of employee resistance to change. Notes that business and industry may be forced to hire minorities and women with orientations to self and work different from those held by white middle-class men.…

A new policy study finds that Latinos are the ethnic/racial group with the least amount of education and highest labor force participation. It concludes that more education would decrease Latino poverty. Suggested solutions include equalizing educational attainment, eliminating employment discrimination, making work more rewarding, guaranteeing…

Argues that department chairs should be more involved in human resources development. Redefines faculty development in terms of faculty improvement in intellectual, institutional, personal, social, and pedagogical domains. Reviews three studies of department chairs' roles and responsibilities, highlighting role orientations, faculty development…

Although technology eliminates jobs, it can save and create jobs as well. Technological change also affects the level of skills required of the labor force. Postsecondary institutions need to ensure that the highly educated, highly skilled, adaptable, and creative labor force demanded by employers is available. (JOW)

A professional economist criticizes Gerald Bracey's view that the condition of public education has little to do with the state of the nation's economy. Most studies indicate that education contributes to growing productivity, higher wages, and a sound economy. Education can serve the nation's economic needs without sacrificing education's other…

Driven by restructuring, marketplace competition, and technological change, rural electric co-ops are implementing early retirement and severance packages, instituting staffing changes to reflect changing functions and needed skills, hiring business managers to develop business strategies and marketing plans, providing consumer-choice advocates,…

The challenge of recruiting, retaining, and retraining college and university information technology (IT) staff affects the entire institution. Some issues in the impending IT staff crisis are outlined, particularly trends in demand for technology workers, and steps are suggested for campus IT leaders to take to minimize the effect of staff…

Discusses the available options for resolving imbalances between training for employment and previous basic education. States that training in specific skills cannot replace basic education. Asserts that the process of technological change corresponds to an increased demand for workers with a high level of education, and identifies overlooked…

Examines the conceptualization of gender redress within the policy development work on the National Qualification Framework (NQF) that is a key initiative of education reform in South Africa. Discusses the history of the NQF and addresses perspectives on gender and the integration of education and training from 1989 to 1996. (CMK)

Describes provisions, implementation processes, and successes of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Welfare-to-Work grants to promote employment of the least employable welfare recipients, including many in rural poverty areas. Addresses other welfare modifications concerning legal immigrants, disabled children, food stamp recipients,…