A wide variety of educational benefits have been obtained by unions through collective bargaining. The challenge is to develop policies and programs that will enable workers and their families to more fully utilize these benefits. Union-sponsored education is discussed and the need for national planning is emphasized. (Author/MLW)

The author describes the development of individualized instruction programs for adults in various areas of vocational education, including the use of advisory committees to identify occupational skills, preparing learning activity packages (LAPS) for the programs, and installation and operation of the programs in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (MF)

To meet growing health care industry manpower needs, colleges and universities are revamping their curricula, but are still turning down many students. Few black institutions offer health occupations programs, and adding new ones is financially difficult. Adjusting competency and licensing requirements to meet new needs is also difficult when…

Provides a conceptual framework for categorizing variables and elements used in evaluating customized training programs and for the maintenance of records demonstrating the accountability of the programs. Suggests a model based on variables associated with the educational context, processes used to fill client needs, and outcomes of the program.…

Describes riverboat deckhand training program operated by East Mississippi Community College and local river towing companies. Residential program trains deckhands using actual towing equipment, including boat and "quarters barge" with classroom. Describes trainees' rigorous workday, including classes, hands-on drills, and physical…

The article reveals philosophical, social, and practical difficulties with ongoing governmental policy in vocational education, focusing on the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, which is designed to construct a national transition system administered at state and local levels. Alternative approaches are suggested. (SM)

A discussion of Botswana higher education looks at the relationship between higher education and labor force participation and types of higher education programs available, A study of 102 University of Botswana graduates examined perceived job-relevance of their undergraduate training and pursuit of graduate or on-the-job training. (MSE)

Describes factors contributing to 1980s expansion of adult vocational education (AE) and training in Europe, reviewing demographic, economic, political, and social factors. Discusses ramifications of emerging decentralization in educational decision making. Examines potential conflict between emphasis on economic and labor market objectives of AE…

Asserts that both efficiency and equity have been used as rationales for governmental support of postsecondary vocational education, but research has been hampered by inadequate data. Finds that postsecondary vocational education has positive effects on individual economic outcomes, but these effects are not found in all target groups. (CFR)

Reviews the history of Massachusetts' 15 community colleges, from the first initiative in 1958 through the present. Outlines the colleges' purposes, responsibilities, and actions, and describes their finances, accountability, and governance. Discusses labor force development for high technology occupations, asserting that the colleges' training…

Examines the role of community colleges in the middle class's increased wages, the implementation of the School to Work Act, the impact of corporate partnerships, and the influence of global competition upon economic factors. Closes with a view of the central role that community colleges will play in the economic future of the country. Contains 18…

Business, community members, and county government cooperated in establishing a literacy center in Catoosa County, Georgia, that provides free GED classes; courses in English, math, basic reading, computer skills, and parenting; and classes offered by a local technical college. Free classes, child care, and GED tests and a flexible schedule remove…

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center and the Mount Rogers Regional Adult Education Program (Virginia) cross-train and upgrade workers' skills to adapt to changing workplaces and keep companies and communities competitive; customize curriculum to meet employers' needs; and provide GED and other adult education programs. (SAS)

Survey of 74 Canadian universities suggests prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) is gaining legitimacy because of the government/industry agenda to prepare the workforce, growing emphasis on lifelong learning, changing demographics, and students' conviction that learning outside the classroom should be validated. Quality assurance and…

In New Zealand the most important institutions that are responsible for the delivery of vocational education and training programs are the government owned and operated tertiary education institutions known as polytechnics. The New Zealand polytechnics deliver programs at the certificate, diploma and degree level. During the course of the 1990s,…