Current Population Survey data indicate that in 1991, only 40% of rural workers had received training on current jobs. Less educated, minority, and Southern rural workers were particularly unlikely to receive training. The nonmetropolitan training rate rose modestly, 1983-91, but less rapidly than the metropolitan rate, suggesting that fewer rural…

Examines Canadian research in job training programs to question whether the development of English language proficiency has a positive impact on the career prospects of most workplace learners. This article describes some workplace programs that include antiracist training and cross-cultural awareness for all members of the workplace. (11…

A study of 678 unskilled and semiskilled workers found that (1) those receiving on-the-job training were paid less and had less seniority; (2) those with off-the-job training (OFJT) or refresher courses had more seniority and more promotions; (3) OFJT related to lower projected longevity; and (4) educational level was related to pay. (SK)

Describes the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program (JOBS) which creates education, training, and employment opportunities for those who receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Questions the effectiveness for rural areas resulting from: (1) limited employment opportunities; (2) characteristics of the eligible rural population; and…

Discusses a study of training and development in noneducational, profit companies that found total quality management the main training topic. Participant evaluations measured training effectiveness. Employees participated in training for personal satisfaction and increased capacity. Private sector trainers expressed concern about the lack of…

Urges systems of education and training to cater to both formal and informal labor markets. Identifies the following components of such efforts: (1) taking into account the traditions and values of the system of vocational learning in working life; (2) accommodating local development needs; and (3) building on the competencies that people in the…

Discusses the benefits of an enlarged view of learning that emphasizes the abilities of the individual learner and the role of the teacher as partner in a joint educational process and includes informal acquisition of skills on-the-job. Argues that much is to be learned from popular educational movements in Latin America. (KS)

The 1990s and early 2000s saw the increased development of advanced training, skills standards, and certification exams by private organizations in the United States. Employers began accepting these skill certifications in lieu of traditional on-the-job training, thereby encouraging employees to acquire more credentials. This article examines the…

A distinctive feature of the British approach until the 1960s was that vocational education and training (VET) should be provided by employers. This is conventionally contrasted with the much more formal state coordinated approach of Germany. The question posed is whether the British style was the "spontaneous order" that results because…

This article discusses aspects of the informal learning of tertiary teachers in a polytechnic, a wananga (Maori tertiary institution) and a university in New Zealand. Case studies showed that they gained their teaching knowledge and skills mainly on the job, through informal, experiential learning, and much less through formal courses,…

This publication is part of the study materials for the distance education course, Adults Learning in the Workplace: Part A, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University. The first part of the document examines the process of learning from experience within the context of on-the-job-training and learning in the workplace. The following topics…

A 2-year project was conducted to improve the productivity of the work force through improvement of literacy skills in the workplace by providing instruction to employees in the printing industry in the Baltimore (Maryland) metropolitan area; Carroll County and Charles County, Maryland; and York, Pennsylvania. The project was organized with input…

This paper focuses on approaches to designing and managing the undergraduate intern experience in political science, and its companion disciplines, public administration, and public policy. Specifically, it describes ways of connecting the internship with the undergraduate curriculum to provide skill building experiences for students as part of…

There is evidence that those who seek employment during difficult times, but are not successful, will continue to experience ongoing hardships throughout their working lives, often developing an ongoing dependency on the social safety net. This digest describes two federal programs on the youth employment front: (1) Youth Service Canada (YSC),…

An ethnographic pilot study explored mentor/protege relationships within the corporate setting of a consumer pharmaceutical firm to determine how minorities were affected. An unstructured interview format was used with 17 individuals in 4 groups: white and Afro-American, male and female. Interviews focused around the history and advantages of…