The public has formed some myths and misconceptions about literacy. No substantive proof supports the grandiose assertion that literacy changes the way humans think and their intelligence. No one who has studied national surveys of adult literacy seriously believes that illiteracy in the United States will be eradicated by 2000. The literacy…

This book, which is intended primarily to assist individuals charged with helping organizations implement career development systems, examines successful career development practices in U.S. and foreign organizations. Part 1 examines the state of the practice as determined by various surveys, including an American Society for Training and…

Testimony from a former head of a communication and theatre department attests to the difficulty in recruiting new faculty with graduate faculty credentials for a department without a doctoral program. Typically, the so-called "stars" of an academic discipline gravitate to large universities and their doctoral programs. Therefore, those involved…

This paper describes the need for systemic educational reform in view of the gap between students who are adequately prepared for tomorrow's jobs and the needs of business/industry. Rapid changes in the workplace--fueled by technological advances, altered family structures, expectations of varied and higher performance skills, and an increase of…

This paper provides a framework for discussion of the potential for support of small and medium enterprise (SME) development by training and education, particularly in European Union partner countries. Section I is an introduction. Section II reviews the present position of small and medium enterprises in the partner countries and the role they…

The History section of the Proceedings contains the following 18 papers: "Pioneers in the State Freedom of Information Movement" (Jeanni Atkins and James A. Lumpp); "'Censorship Liberally Administered': Press, U.S. Military Relations in the Spanish-American War" (Randall S. Sumpter); "Two Tales of One City: How Cultural…

This paper addresses the economic impact in Australia of vocational and technical training, particularly the economic outcomes of participation in vocational education and training. Two cohorts are examined, one born in 1961 and the other in 1965. Educational attainments and take-home earnings are reported and analyzed for each group when they…

This paper discusses the effectiveness of the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program in equipping graduate students for the realities of the academic job market. It reviews the experiences of Duke University (North Carolina) with the PFF program and the effect that PFF has had on preparing graduate students to enter the job market as new faculty.…

This volume addresses the efforts in several states, including California, Florida, North Carolina, and Washington, to determine the economic gains of community college graduates by measuring their post-college earnings. Articles include: (1) "Economic Benefits of a Community College Education: Issues of Accountability and Performance Measures"…

The 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW) surveyed 2,877 employees regarding the relationship between workers' lives on and off the job and changes in the nature of work. The report also provides a historical perspective by comparing data from 1997 with data from the 1992 NSCW and from the U.S. Department of Labor's 1977 Quality of…

This statistical abstract summarizes recent data on the relationship between disability and employment. The statistics come from the Current Population Survey, the Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation, a poll of 1,000 Americans with disabilities, and administrative data on recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance…

This report attempts to assemble data on the trends that are favorable or unfavorable to independence from welfare. Twelve such conditions are examined in this report, and they are summarized in table form, with an indication of the direction of the trend and comments. The information is also summarized in narrative form to give an idea of what…

Federal workforce development policy is being turned upside down. New governance structures, new systems of service delivery, new concepts, and new programs are being introduced and implemented throughout the United States. This publication is designed to facilitate participation in this revolution-in-progress. Three key federal initiatives that…

This report integrates information from federal agencies, higher education associations, institutions, and other organizations to present a picture of employment, education, and lifestyle outcomes for recent college graduates. The following promising trends are identified: (1) recent college graduates face a good job market, with employers…

Addressed to British companies doing business overseas, this briefing paper offers recommendations on practical steps to combat exploitative child labor while explaining why action without the provision of alternative incomes could drive children into higher risk areas of the informal economy. The paper explains that if sufficient resources are…