The Council for Industry and Higher Education commissioned a working group called the Widening Participation Group to consider how to make postcompulsory education more accessible to those individuals in the United Kingdom who currently have limited or no exposure to such learning. The group issued a progress report recommending specific actions…

On July 22, 1997, a panel of approximately 25 individuals, including members of the Accountability Committee of the National Association of State Directors of Vocational Technical Education, participated in a focus group for the following purposes: to identify the information needed for program accountability; to assess the National Center for…

The National Association of State Directors of Vocational Technical Education Consortium (NASDVTEC) supports enactment of legislation that is dedicated solely to vocational-technical education (VTE). NASDVTEC urges the 105th Congress to build on the existing foundation of a strong state role in VTE by drafting legislation that achieves the…

The characteristics and experience of mature students at the National University of Ireland (NUI) Maynooth were examined in a study in which data were collected from the following: detailed questionnaire mailed to all 298 mature students registered at NUI Maynooth and returned by 164 (55%) of them; semistructured interviews with a sample of 20…

An assessment of Australia's housing industry determined the level of management skills currently existing in the industry, identified current and future management skills required for the industry, and evaluated current management skill development strategies. Data were collected from the following activities: review of recent literature; study…

Gainesville College (GC) administered a Needs Assessment Survey in February 1998 to determine perceptions and attitudes about the college and areas that need improvement. Two groups were surveyed: high school counselors and principals, and community leaders such as Chamber of Commerce presidents and college trustees. There was a relatively high…

The Preschool Version of the High/Scope Program Quality Assessment (PQA) is a ratings instrument for evaluating the quality of early childhood programs and identifying staff training needs. The assessment was developed for use in all center-based preschool and child care settings, not just those using the High/Scope educational approach. This…

The feasibility and sustainability of a distance learning program at the Texas Transportation Institute, which is part of the Texas A&M University system, was investigated. A literature review and online survey of current transportation professionals were conducted to examine the market potential for a distance learning program and to identify…

The effects of globalization and rapid technological change on emerging occupational patterns in Australia need to be understood in order to understand their implications for the effects on education and vocational training. Building on the classification scheme introduced by Robert Reich in his 1992 book, the Work of Nations, Australian…

This proceedings document includes papers presented at a conference on children's mental health, systems of care, and research. Papers are grouped into 11 chapters which address the following topics: (1) program and system evaluations (nine papers); (2) managed care in children's mental health (six papers); (3) accountability and information…

The Project on Devolution and Urban Change conducted a study to learn how new welfare policies and funding mechanisms, especially devolution and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grants, affect human service agencies in neighborhoods with high concentrations of welfare recipients and people living in poverty. Key personnel at 106…

Although the Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act contains several provisions that move the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program in the right direction, it fails to respond to the needs of Latino workers and job seekers in a meaningful way. Although WIA's stated purpose aims to serve all populations, implementation of the new system…

This booklet is intended to help local workforce investment boards (WIBs) frame ongoing discussions in their communities about workforce needs and how to meet those needs. The booklet begins by explaining why the United States needs a new workforce system. The following new leadership roles for WIBs are discussed: (1) articulate changing workplace…

A four-step approach to implementing a training program and measuring results for government agencies was developed in response to an executive order to federal agencies to provide effective training and performance measures in their annual budgets. Step one is the analysis of established goals to identify training requirements. Suggested…

This document presents a record of the content covered at a 2-day research forum on linking research, policy, and practice in vocational education and training (VET) and on school-to-work transitions in Australia. The first half of the document contains the following materials from and about day 1 of the forum: an executive summary; a list of key…