To gather information on the workforce training and retraining needs of American businesses and how community colleges can best meet those needs, a study was conducted of recipients of workforce education and training nationwide. One-hundred and four community colleges in 27 states participated in the study, sending questionnaires to 4,703…

Vocational-technical teacher education has followed a different preparation path since the Smith-Hughes Act established a separate system for vocational training. This path has been increasingly challenged by end-of-the-century changes in the workplace and new knowledge about teaching and learning. This paper reviews reform initiatives in teacher…

This document, which is intended for work force and workplace development providers, examines ways of reducing the costs of developing and delivering training to small and midsized companies. Listed first are the following strategies for cutting service costs: split the provider's development costs by delivering the same services to a number of…

This bulletin focuses on the connection between student performance and standards that has led to reform efforts designed to set high standards and develop new ways to measure student performance. It provides an overview of national, state, and local efforts to develop standards. The bulletin then discusses these practitioner-identified approaches…

Increased global competition and rapidly changing labor markets are providing a new imperative for relevance and quality assurance in education. This imperative is driving a consensus around the need for standards that link the content of education and training to the demands of the workplace. The national framework for improving relevance and…

This bulletin focuses on the integration of school-to-work systems into a comprehensive set of economic development services that can help address a critical need articulated by businesses, spur economic growth, and equip young people with the skills necessary for further learning and work. It first describes these strategies to integrate…

There is increasing evidence that American schools are doing a poor job of preparing students for the work force. Several studies have concluded that North Carolina has the worst school-to-work educational training system in the industrialized world. America's educators still have not learned how to deal with the problems that poverty creates for…

This book provides an overview of economic trends and social issues in the 13 states and 399 counties of Appalachia, with emphasis on implications for families, children, and communities. It places the trends and issues of the Appalachian region within a national context. These trends include declining employment opportunities and wages, increased…

The nature, extent, and likely future of outsourcing in the United Kingdom was examined through an extensive literature review and interviews with small numbers of local authorities, companies, and contractors. Despite the limited data available, it appeared that outsourcing is concentrated in ancillary activities and is relatively marginal, both…

Focusing on legislation expected to be addressed by the 105th Congress, this booklet sets forth an agenda for the nation's community colleges, developed by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). An introductory section provides background on community colleges, indicating…

The benefits to employers of employment policies and practices that explicitly recognize the increasing domestic responsibilities of current and potential employees were examined through a study during which data were collected from the following sources: previous research and existing sources of statistical information about demographic and…

Ohio's state-operated/state-supported job training and work force development programs were reviewed in response to a legislative mandate calling for development of a plan for administrative consolidation of those programs under the control of a single state agency. The review included examination of the following: history of federal and Ohio job…

There is a clear national consensus that for the United States to remain economically competitive, schools will have to change to emphasize higher levels of performance and skills. Students need to be independent, directed, and effective learners to be able to adapt to changing work environments by acquiring and using new information. However,…

During the past decade, the number of jobs in France's administrative service sector has remained stable. General administrative work has become more infrequent; however, the basic occupations of secretary and accountancy have been maintained. Although the number of typists has declined, the number of "secretarial" jobs has increased…

The proposed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will result in lower wages, fewer jobs, and generally reduced living standards for the majority of U.S. workers. Substantial costs to the U.S. economy will occur in job and income loss and few off-setting benefits for most workers. Proponents argue that NAFTA will create upward mobility for…