Includes "Introduction" (McCaffery, Edmond-Smith); "Celebrating Achievements" (Hancock); "Building for Future" (Coleman); "Women in Community" (Patel); "Education/Training for Older Women" (Cooper, Kennedy); "Women with Disabilities" (Goddard); "Open/Distance Learning"…

Argues that current job-training policy in New York City is based on a false premise. Poor education is a serious problem, but the most important failure, the one on which economic policy must focus, is the failure of employers to provide an adequate number of jobs at living wages. (SLD)

Argues that rural two-year colleges must go beyond traditional job training programs for business/industry to have a decisive impact on local economic development. Presents a comprehensive economic development model, including human capital development; economic development awareness; and business, special group, infrastructure, and agricultural…

Compares U.S. and German schooling processes, noting how the countries socialize their youth to adulthood and employment; mentions key elements in achieving good outcomes and preparing productive adults; recommends creating an appropriate balance between the country's labor force needs and the developmental needs of its individuals. (SM)

Describes how customized training (i.e., contracted training provided by college personnel for individual firms in exchange for a fee) has evolved in the United States. Discusses links between customized training and three specific economic development strategies. Presents an operational definition of customized training to provide a basis for its…

Australian implementation of competency-based training fails to recognize that mere competency statements are inadequate as a basis for teaching. Many vocational teachers lack sufficient background in psychology for successful implementation. Good curriculum documents can help by incorporating key research on skill learning, transfer, expertise,…

Review of research on adolescent employment found the following: (1) employment patterns were relatively unchanged in 40 years; (2) emerging literature challenges the assumption that "floundering" is necessarily bad; and (3) increasing amounts of work negatively affect school performance. Methodological issues include selection bias, sampling…

Analyzes four cluster colleges located in the U.S. and Europe that have specialized in helping train the work force for local dominant industries. Argues that college and industry cluster connections can enhance the competitive advantages of clusters and improve opportunities for individuals. (JDI)

Describes the People United To Enrich the Neighborhood through Education (Puente) Learning Center, a nonprofit center in Los Angeles (California) providing programs in literacy, English-as-a-Second-Language, study skills, job training, and computer skills for people who traditionally have had limited access to education and technology. (SLD)

States that, when a major local employer closed its doors, Chemeketa Community College (Oregon) joined forces with state agencies and opened the Woodburn Workforce Transition Center to help the displaced workers with vocational counseling, language and literacy assessments, developing interview skills, and resume writing. Warns that similar…

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)

A mortgage services company conducted a cost benefit analysis of a computer-based training program for its payment application process. A test group showed a 21% increase in speed of making payments, an 81% increase in accuracy, a reduction of average training time by nearly 65%, and improved morale. Program design, development, authoring, and…

Discusses community colleges and welfare-to-work programs from a rural perspective, specifically in Illinois. Examines the barriers to rural welfare recipients in terms of job placement, benefits of collaborative efforts, and importance of education and training. (Contains 11 references.) (AUTH/NB)

Focuses on the development and implementation of a customer service call center training program, implemented by Metropolitan Community Colleges (Missouri) to assist welfare recipients overcome the obstacles facing them in the workplace. Discusses components of the program, and its effects on both the consumer and the corporate community. (AUTH/NB)