In anticipation of federal welfare reform, the Texas Department of Human Services developed and implemented the REFOCUS program, designed to enhance the economic self-sufficiency of English-as-a-Second-Language recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) through better use of existing education, job training, employment, and…

A study examined the effect of national culture and institutional tradition on the response of engineering companies and their management to product-technology and market changes in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Data were collected from semistructured interviews of managers at 24 small, medium, and large engineering firms. The introduction of…

Current education reform efforts show a lack of attention to the three out of four students currently in the educational system who are unlikely to ever earn baccalaureate degrees. The Tech Prep Associate Degree Program (TPAD) is aimed at preparing this neglected majority for the demands of a complex and shifting economy and improving teaching and…

This document contains two papers dealing with challenges facing vocational educators. "Producing a Competent Workforce for the Year 2000: Industry Expectations of Education" (Lewis Burrell) draws the following conclusions: (1) employers and educators need to form a close coalition to plan, design, and execute a system of education and training…

Participants from Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone met as educational planners to seek alternative methods of planning under the changing conditions of education, employment, and human resource development in their countries. The articles presented during the training course include: (1) "Education and Employment in…

The Parents' Fair Share Demonstration (PFS) was created to boost the incomes of poor noncustodial parents (most of them fathers) so as to increase child support payments and decrease the number of welfare recipients. This report gives the results of a nine-site pilot program, which operated from early 1992 through 1993. The program addressed two…

This glimpse of America's economic situation in the year 2000 predicts that four key trends will shape the last years of the twentieth century: (1) the American economy should grow at a relatively healthy pace; (2) U.S. manufacturing will be a much smaller share of the economy in the year 2000; (3) the workforce will grow slowly, becoming older,…

In 1989, the Industrial Research and Development Advisory Committee (IRDAC) of the European Community established a Working Party on education and training issues relevant to industry. A subgroup on skill shortages considered the issue from the European and macro-economic point of view. It examined such skills shortages issues as demographic…

A study identified and conducted onsite case studies of 18 different education programs conducted by small companies. Two-thirds of them were conducted by manufacturing companies; the remainder were in health services, construction, or transportation companies. Most of the programs served fewer than 25 workers and had been in operation for less…

A project was conducted to develop activities leading to the coordination of regional vocational-technical education and training programs with data-based labor market needs in East Texas. An existing group, the Technology Partnership Organization, became the work force planning agency for the area. During the project, the following objectives…

A bilingual Manpower Recreation Training Program in Hialeah, Florida, provides on-the-job training for underemployed or unemployed 18 to 24 year olds from disadvantaged families. The year-round program encompasses classroom as well as playground training, and participant reactions describe a successful program. (LH)

This annotated bibliography is designed to assist rural leaders seeking ways to effectively structure successful job development projects in their communities. The 120 entries are listed in the main body alphabetically by author, and are grouped in the index into categories reflecting Thomas's "seven hallmarks of successful rural development": (1)…

This document contains papers presented at a seminar to explore how the U.S. economy has created 30 million jobs since the early 1970s, while most European countries have barely managed to keep their labor force employed. The following papers are included: "Job Creation in the United States: Some Facts and Figures" (Sibille); "Unanswered…

This paper focuses on the need for increased sensitivity and responsiveness in international education and training project evaluations, particularly those in Third World countries. A conceptual-theoretical framework for designing and developing models appropriate for evaluating education and training projects in non-Western cultures is presented.…