The preparation and qualifications of Pennsylvania vocational education (VE) teachers were examined in a statewide survey. Survey instruments were mailed to all 152 practicing VE teachers in Pennsylvania who had received a Pennsylvania Vocational Instructional II Certificate in 1990-1998. Thirty-four (22.37%) of the VE teachers completed…

This guide focuses on creating educational and social service programs for seniors at Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) properties. Chapter 1 describes an intergenerational program at three properties receiving HUD assistance in Portland, Oregon, where seniors teach and learn from young students through interactive educational…

In February 2000, the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) cosponsored a national literacy summit of more than 100 representatives from the field of adult literacy and basic education in Washington, DC. During the summit, 29 adult literacy teachers from 5 states (Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, and…

Continuous quality improvement (CQI) models, which were first applied in business, are critical to making new technology-based learning paradigms and flexible learning environments a reality. The following are among the factors that have facilitated CQI's application in education: increased operating costs; increased competition from private…

Members of a subgroup of the European Training Foundation's Advisory Forum were surveyed regarding their perceptions of problems and priorities relating to initial and inservice vocational teacher and trainer training and innovation in the European Union (EU). Advisory Forum members from 10 EU countries completed the questionnaire. Priorities…

This guide is designed to assist countries in the Eastern Caribbean region in assessing their needs for vocational-technical training. It discusses needs assessment from an economy-wide perspective; needs assessments within a company are addressed briefly. The guide describes in detail each of the eight broad phases involved in conducting a…

When interviewed in spring 2003, officials in 16 states with a demonstrated commitment to job training provided data on 30 state-financed programs in their states. An analysis of the data yielded the following findings: (1) when recent, long-term, and projected declines are considered, funding is declining for 22 of the 30 programs studied; (2) in…

Trends in adult and community education (ACE) across Australia were examined. Data were obtained from consultations with national, state, and territory policy and funding body representatives; consultations with representatives of 40 ACE agencies across Australia; and analysis of pertinent literature, research, and policy documents. The study was…

This annual report contains information about the 2002 activities of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), including proposed outcomes and activities and results for each, organized into the four following areas: (1) developing research; (2) reporting and facilitating a concerted approach; (3) exchange and…

This document explains how agencies serving recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) can use videoconferencing as a tool for welfare and work force reform. The document begins with a brief overview of how videoconferencing and other communications technologies can be used in designing and delivering welfare and work force…

Education and training in the workplace are quickly becoming survival tools for most organizations because their operating environments change constantly. Traditionally, many employers have looked externally to employ individuals with specific skills who can adapt to changing products and processes. Upgrading the skills of present employees was…

The inservice needs of entry-phase agriculture teachers in Texas were examined in a descriptive study that focused on Texas entry-phase agriculture teachers' personal and situational characteristics, their own assessment of their performance on specific competencies, and their need for inservice training on specific competencies. The target…

A literature review, undertaken in preparation for a study of French regional needs for workforce English language instruction at the college level, covers research on this topic in areas of France and other non-English-speaking countries, student perspectives on language needs and motivation for learning English, linguistic issues in addressing…

Since the 1970s, federal legislation and public and private sector initiatives have attempted to increase the numbers of women employed in occupations considered nontraditional for females. In 1998, women accounted for 20-25% of employees in a handful of nontraditional occupations (NTOs) but less than 10% of employees in many other NTOs. Secondary…

The recession has fueled calls in Congress to extend and expand unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Although UI expansion is needed in the short run, the program is also in need of more fundamental and permanent reform to transform it from an industrial era program to one that is better suited for the New Economy. Policymakers must take the…