This phenomenological study explores critical issues related to participation in human resource development (HRD) interventions. Specifically focusing on master of business administration (M.B.A.) training programs in China, we conducted in-depth individual interviews with twelve middle-level managers to understand their perceptions and experience…

This paper draws together two major strands in current Government policies for higher education -- the promotion of collaborative partnerships in higher education and the widening participation agenda. Both of these also contribute to the enhancement of workforce development. The paper explores the interface between these two policies through a…

Faced with the challenge of responding to shifting tides in the American labor market through the development of innovative and relevant educational programs that directly facilitate regional economic growth, numerous community colleges have identified the implementation of small business development and entrepreneurship education initiatives as…

The dilemma is familiar: too few resources to meet too many demands. Common to many public institutions, this problem poses special challenges to those working in community colleges, adult education and literacy programs, and workforce development organizations. These organizations all serve people who are at an economic and educational…

States across the country are all chasing what are becoming known as "new-age" technologies. These are technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, bio-informatics and others. These technologies offer the potential for long-term economic growth and well-paid jobs to employees working in these sectors. As these technologies mature,…

The challenges facing youth who are disconnected from the nation's employment and education systems are expansive. In today's labor market, opportunities for employment at a living wage, and ultimately self-sufficiency, are dismal for those who lack the higher level of skills demanded by employers. The twenty-first century labor market is…

Human resource development (HRD) occupies some interesting educational territory. Given the rapid pace of development and innovation in education and in the practice of HRD, coupled with alternative approaches to learning, a re-evaluation of HRD might be expected to be a prominent feature within discussions of the future practice of HRD. However,…

Purpose: This research proposes a framework, which identifies the underlying factors that shape learning behavior in the workplace. It takes organizational members' perspectives into consideration to gain better understanding on managing people and their behavior in the organizational learning process. Design/methodology/approach: Primary data…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present empirical evidence of the nature of corporate rhetoric in developing human capital and how it becomes embedded within a large international organization operating in the Nordic region. The qualitative case study aims to examine the sensemaking of individual managers, and how human capital rhetoric…

In today's economy, access to postsecondary education or training has become the threshold requirement for individual career success. The increasing economic value of postsecondary education is good news in a society that strives to make economic opportunity subservient to individual merit, rather than family background. At the same time, the…

Increasing enterprises' expenditure on their employees' vocational education and training (VET) is of concern for governments in many countries. This article identifies and discusses policy goals for increased enterprise expenditure on VET and elaborates options for achieving these goals. Throughout, measures that attempt to mandate and regulate…

Golden Apple Teacher Education (GATE), which began as a partnership between the nonprofit Golden Apple Foundation and Northwestern University and later expanded to other Chicago-area university sites, provides an accelerated path for career-changing professionals to become teachers in Chicago schools. Such programs, which have multiplied…

In this new century, opportunities exist to help advance America's greatness in the midst of many challenges. Energy, water, food, environment, health, economic productivity, global competitiveness, and the quality of the living environments are all paramount to the future. Extension is, as a part of higher education, prepared to create new…

This report finds that now more than ever, New York needs a strong workforce development system--but declining funds and uncoordinated programs are obstacles to progress. In December 2003, the Center for an Urban Future and the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals released a report, "Seeking a Workforce System,"…

Several high-level committees have concluded that current domestic and global trends are threatening America's global science and engineering (S&E) preeminence. Of the challenges discussed, few are thought to be as serious as the purported decline in the supply of high quality students from the beginning to the end of the S&E pipeline--a decline…