Apprenticeship is the main avenue to self-employment in micro-enterprises and thus a cornerstone of informal sector development in West Africa. Survey results for Ibadan, Lome, Dakar, Niamey, and other cities demonstrate that apprenticeship as practiced by informal sector artisans is often very similar from one country to the next. Dropout rates…

This annotated bibliography, arranged alphabetically by personal author, contains 235 citations of works examining welfare reform and its implications for rural areas. Items include journal articles, books, reports, and discussion papers from universities, private institutes, government agencies, and private presses. Topics include labor and…

The Department of Labor (DOL) conducts several activities to foster Job Corps' employer and community linkages to ensure the appropriateness of its vocational training to local labor markets and its relevance to employer needs. However, a review by the General Accounting Office (GAO) determined that information reported by DOL on the percentage of…

This guide contains materials for a course in mathematical applications used by garment workers at the Apparel Group, Ltd. (ENRO). The course is designed to help employees understand the meaning of mathematical concepts, symbols, and functions; to acquire better mathematical skills, including fractions, percentages, and decimals; to develop…

This syllabus and curriculum guide were developed for a 12-week course in workplace Spanish for clinical workers at the Claretian Medical Center on the south side of Chicago. The purpose of the class was to provide basic communicative abilities in Spanish to the medical staff---registered nurses, triage nurses, and laboratory technologists--such…

A study was conducted to determine what was happening in literacy programs as a result of the major welfare reform law passed in 1996, and whether basic skills instruction was part of the solution. A nationwide search for exemplary programs that are using basic skills instruction as a fundamental component of assisting welfare recipients in moving…

Analysis of the Project ALERT (Adult Literacy Enhanced & Redefined through Training) Workplace Literacy Project produced a description of the needs assessment process, steps, and instruments that can be used for needs assessment in other workplace education projects. The data for the needs assessment were collected through the following methods: a…

The Casco Bay (Maine) Partnership for Workplace Education was a federally funded workplace literacy program that provided customized basic skills education at seven business sites in the Portland area. The partnership served more than 2,000 employees from 1993-96. Program characteristics included the following: ongoing and self-directed learning;…

In 1998, the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) completed a successful third cycle of Educators Exchange Program (EEP) activities. The goal of EEP is to promote binational cooperation, cultural understanding and economic development through faculty exchange and technical assistance programs. During the last six years of program…

This document contains two papers from a symposium on enhancing team performance. "The Impact of Organizational Sub-Cultures on Information Sharing: A Manufacturing Company's Dilemma" (Toni Powell) reports on a qualitative study that examined the subcultures of a company involved in significant change and noted the effects of conflicting…

The Focus Study, conducted by the National Council of La Raza's Poverty Project, used structured discussions by focus groups to examine Mexican American women's opinions, needs, and attitudes as they relate to the implementation of the 1988 Family Support Act (FSA). FSA's primary objective is to move people off welfare through education, training,…

This report describes training programs for paraprofessionals to accommodate the rapid growth of special education services in rural Kansas. Developed and implemented by state and local education agencies, the programs are based on the performance competencies established for paraprofessionals, and certification is enforced through the State…

Two forces define a real problem for industries struggling to retain or develop a place in a competitive world market: demographics and the rising level of necessary skills. An examination of Indiana population demographics shows a shortfall of approximately 140,000 workers. The majority of new jobs will require some postsecondary education. The…

The German education system is the responsibility of the 16 federal states. The federal government plays the leading role in regularizing the on-the-job section of occupational training in the dual system. Other forms of occupational training are full-time vocational schools and further full-time vocational training schools. The on-the-job part of…

This document describes the AFL-CIO's Upgrading and Career Ladder Program (UCLP), which creates a system of structured, work-based learning integrating on-the-job training with related theoretical instruction. The UCLP has the following objectives: to meet workers' skill upgrading and occupational mobility needs; to encourage unions and employers…