The United States has no systematic procedure to help secondary students transition from school to employment. That lack most adversely affects poor and minority students. The article examines successful school to work transitioning in Japan and Germany and notes that businesses and governments must recognize their responsibilities in preparing…

Traces the history of student academic library employees and reviews the related literature on the changing role of library student assistants. Highlights include changes in libraries' organizational structures; and administrative issues concerning recruitment, interviewing, training, motivation, and employee retention. (LRW)

Release of "A Nation at Risk Report" (1983) provoked citizens to embark on mission to improve schools, teaching, and learning. Evidence shows U.S. schools may not be in such dire shape as reported. Schools have shown they can prepare students for top universities but many do not graduate. To keep alive the promise of education reform and…

The National Qualification Framework (NQF) in South Africa attempts to integrate education and training, and to facilitate access and progression through the educational and training system. This paper describes the background of NQF, explores the extent to which NQF addresses the problems of poverty, hunger, and unemployment, and considers the…

Surveys of rural and urban businesses and households in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin found that: only 25 percent of firms had trouble hiring skilled workers; required skills were not particularly high-tech; few firms used public or private education providers in their skill training activities; and the labor force was overtrained…

Students at Clay County High School (West Virginia) get real-world work experience through the school's comprehensive School-to-Work program, now in its third year. Given the limited job availability in this poor rural area, the school supplements work-site experiences with school-based business enterprises, student construction projects, and…

States that community colleges have an increased need to focus on marketing their services to students in addition to providing them. Gives the example of Central Piedmont Community College's (Virginia) partnership with the local Workforce Development Board, and the competitive edge it afforded the college. Explores whether job training…

Presents opinions of the present and former presidents of the National Council for Continuing Education and Training (NCCET) as to the future of community services and workforce training. Predicts future trends for NCCET, such as: (1) partnering nationally; (2) staying on the cutting edge; (3) offering accountability and convenience; (4) being…

Describes Staffordshire University Lichfield Centre (SULC) as a partnership program formed in response to the changing environment of UK higher education and the needs of the local economy. States that SULC aims to provide lifelong learning opportunities to local people and businesses, specializing in business, computing and information…

This article examines the broad array of adult literacy program alternatives currently available. These include government-funded adult education programs, such as Adult Basic Education and Even Start, volunteer programs such as Laubach Literacy Action and Literacy Volunteers of America, business and industry sponsored programs, community-based…

Discusses Oregon library automation projects, including Internet connectivity and a statewide multitype library network; a bibliographic information system with college and university libraries, including a union catalog; a Portland Area Library System that connects multitype libraries; and library staff training for the Internet. (LRW)

Describes the program, administrative implications, and lessons learned from the Advanced Technology Program, a welfare-to-work program developed by Oakland Community College in Michigan. Stresses that welfare recipients need full-time work in high-paying jobs, skills training and continuing education, and training that meets the labor demand…

Describes how George Burdeau (Blackfeet) got into filmmaking from an activist perspective, with a desire to correct Hollywood stereotypes and to empower tribal people by communicating their vision and power to the world through film. Discusses the usefulness of mentoring in training Native American film crew members. (TD)

The DECA International Career Development Conference is the highlight of the year for the career and technical student organization, as marketing students demonstrate their skills, achievements and leadership abilities. DECA, which began in 1946 as the Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a national association of marketing students and the…

This article examines the representation of lifelong learning in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS)." Critics acknowledge the series' representation of school life, but pay less attention to its emphasis on self-directed adult learning. The article draws on the extensive range of academic "BtVS" writing and on relevant educational theory concerned…