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,…

Purpose: The aim of the study was to measure employees' perception of human resource development (HRD) practices, to explore whether ISO certification leads to any improvements in HRD system, and to examine the role of HRD practices on employees' development climate and quality orientation in the organization. Design/methodology/approach: A total…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present a case study of an HRD team from the UK that delivers training to a large public service Hungarian organization with the aid of interpreters and translators. Design/methodology/approach: The article takes the form of a case study. Findings: The article acts to illustrate good and ineffective…

This investigation provides a model for at-risk youth community agencies to tailor their programs to fit the specific needs of their local out-of-school youth. Using a needs-based assessment, baseline data were gathered on Cleveland African Americans (N = 187) to pinpoint academic strengths and deficits, career interests, and life-skill needs. The…

This article explores some of the ill-defined provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act and its compelling arguments. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 was born in controversy, and the passage of time has not lessened the controversy surrounding it. Initially, this act appeared to be legislation which would have little or no impact on…

Physician migration to and from countries results from many local causes and international influences. These factors operate in the context of an increasingly globalized economy. From an ethical point of view, selective and targeted "raiding" of developing countries' medical workforce by wealthier countries is not acceptable. However,…

These 12 papers are part of the study materials for the one-semester distance education unit, Project Development Plan 2, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University (Australia). They examine the breadth and depth of the actions and debates around the social construction of skill and the critical role played by the concept of skill in the…

This publication contains six essays that offer a range of practical and theoretical perspectives on work-related curriculum. It is part of the study materials for the one-semester distance education unit, Curriculum and Competencies, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University (Australia). An introduction proposes a course design and pedagogy…

Drawing from an analysis of more than 50 documents related to the need for technical education and training in Texas, and from interviews with 29 individuals knowledgeable about the state's technical education and training, this report assesses the current statewide capacity to to adequately train the workforce that is the expected requirement for…

In an effort to become more responsive to students' needs regarding the current and future labor market, California's City College of San Francisco (CCSF) developed "CityWorks," a strategic plan for workforce education and training. This report provides background to the development of CityWorks and describes key goals and strategies.…