Specific areas that form the core of the "Marshall Plan" (for U.S. Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall) are described as offsite training for unemployed apprentices and allied craftworkers; reimbursed employment and training cost grants; apprenticeship-school projects; and apprenticeship innovations. Some statistical data on the number of…

Changing demographic trends and the economy's need for well-educated young people to take entry level positions in the work force make businesses more eager to cooperate with schools to ensure the availability of adequate programs for developing prepared workers. (PGD)

Aggressive community colleges are fostering linkages with government programs, large and small businesses, and educational institutions for special training to upgrade worker skills, prepare workers to cope with plant closings, and meet the skill requirements of advancing technology. (MSE)

Discusses women's low participation in science and technology in terms of equity concerns, human resource utilization, and procedures used to assess scientific merit. Also explores the contributions that psychologists can make by understanding the impact of research and changing technologies on women's lives. (KH)

Drawing on innovative workforce development efforts around the country, Jobs for the Future (JJF) publications, tool kits, and other resources respond to the challenges to advancement for low-wage workers. Occasional papers in the series Advancement for Low-Wage Workers seeks to elevate discussion of this issue within and outside the workforce…

This symposium is comprised of three papers on organizational learning, change, and socialization. "A Study of the Organizational Learning Profile (OLP)" (Rae Dorai, Adela J. McMurray) reports findings that show the OLP (Pace et al. 1998) is a reliable instrument for measuring organizational learning and its content validity is high.…

This study presents the findings of the 2001-2002 Student Occupational Follow-Up Survey of graduates of Parkland College, Illinois. A total of 595 graduates of occupational programs were contacted approximately five weeks after graduation. Of those, 352 returned surveys, for a response rate of 59.2%. Females outnumbered males by more than two to…

This brief updates "Income Support and Social Services for Low-Income People in New York," an overview of benefits and services in the state in 1997. Information comes from reviews of state and local program documents and interviews with selected officials responsible for policy and program operations in Erie County (Buffalo) and New…

Despite wide publicity and common usage, the concept of skills shortage has different meaning to different people depending on their perspective. Understanding the different concepts of skills shortages, their measurement and the causes of skill shortages is important if sound policies are to be developed in the areas of employment, education,…

What are the forces that will continue to shape the U.S. workforce and workplace over the next 10 to 15 years? With such inevitabilities as the proliferation and acceleration of technology worldwide, will more individuals work at home, will more businesses outsource their noncore functions -- and with what consequences? Answering such questions…

Online instruction gains an increasing presence due to associated benefits, including the ability to disregard geographical and time constraints, and the belief that online training is more cost efficient. This paper provides a discussion of issues to be faced by HRD professionals who intend to move the training environment online in response to…

A survey of informal learning among 318 teachers and HRD professionals was conducted. Analysis of the data found that teachers rely to a greater extent on interactive informal learning activities while HRD professionals rely to a greater extent on independent learning activities. Data analysis also found that six environmental factors inhibit…

The purpose of this paper is to present Project CREW--a novel and innovative collaborative career counseling program that links educational attainment and skills development to community-based workforce development. A review of the literature on career development is provided along with a discussion of how Project CREW's model and program theory…

Effectiveness in distance education has been scrutinized for years, but only recently has literature focused on Web-based learning. As more online degree programs are established, the need for evaluation methodologies and processes guiding those activities increases. This paper describes on-going research to develop an evaluation plan for a fully…

This article seeks to develop a framework for assessing the impacts of cultural values and beliefs on cross-cultural training (CCT). It argues that culture affects CCT processes including the use of training methods, trainers' selection, and trainees' learning style. The article also reasons that the congruence between parent and host cultures…