The literacy programs and policies implemented in Australia over the past decade were reviewed to identify initiatives that have and have not had a positive impact on vocational education and training (VET) and lifelong learning opportunities. Policies and practices in seven other countries were also reviewed. The following themes received…

Youth development lies at the heart of the Workforce Investment Act and the Youth Opportunity Movement. Like employment training programs for adults, employment training programs for youth should focus on acquisition of skills, gainful employment, and productive citizenship. Beyond these three characteristics, it is essential that programs for…

Belgium's vocational education and training (VET) was examined. The following topics were considered: (1) the VET environment (political and administrative structures; the economy; the labor force; unemployment); (2) Belgium's educational system (funding principles; the structure and objectives of basic, secondary, and higher education); (3) the…

England's Learning and Skills Research Centre (LSRC) is working to build a strong body of evidence from rigorous research that is focused on critical and innovative thinking and models and solutions for the long-term development of post-16 learning. In 2002-2005, the LSRC will focus on the following activities and goals: identify key priorities;…

This booklet examines the definition of the term "empowerment" according to academics and policymakers and the relevance of empowerment to achieving social inclusion at the national and European Union levels. The findings of a study of the theory and practice of empowerment in five Integra projects in Ireland are reviewed and used to…

For 17 years, the Adult Career Counseling Center (ACCC) at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, has provided computer-assisted career guidance systems and career counseling services to a culturally diverse clientele of more than 11,000 adults living in the local community. The ACCC's goals are as follows: (1) provide career exploration and…

This document argues the importance of schools' actual and potential role for adult learners in England and recommends ways of overcoming the barriers to participation created by current priorities, policies, and practices. Chapter 1 discusses the following themes: (1) the role of learning in a program for communities in crisis; (2) how priorities…

In recent years, Australia's system of adult and community education (ACE) has broadened to include vocational learning as well as the hobby, enrichment, and personal development traditionally provided by ACE in the past. A study examined the views of ACE providers, ACE students, and industry organizations regarding ACE vocational education and…

This volume presents articles and information to support and improve literacy practices in schools, the community, and the workplace. Selected article titles are as follows: "Reaching Learners Where They Are" (Linda Shohet); "The Learners' Wall: Experiences in the Health Care System"; "In-Sites: A Study in Workforce…

This document, which is based on data gathered during the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), examines the literacy skills of the U.S. civilian labor force, including the employed and unemployed. The following topics are among those discussed: (1) human resources and the U.S. economy; (2) literacy proficiencies of the nation's labor force;…

This document contains four papers that were written in preparation for a national conference on building partnerships to help adult learners make the transition from volunteer literacy to adult education programs. Discussed in "Technology as an Instruction Strategy for Program Transitions" (Eunice N. Askov, Barbara H. Van Horn) are the…

The Literacy Enhancement Project (LEP) was initiated in 1993 to upgrade the quality of service at adult literacy program sites throughout Illinois. The project provided in-depth, sequential training in using a model assessment/evaluation system that is intended to serve as a developmental tool aiding in program design and modification and…

An assessment of the Newark Literacy Campaign's (NLC's) Adult Tutorial Reading Program studied 20 long-term (in the program for at least 1 year) and 20 new adult learners; all but 2 were African-Americans. The following data sources were used: in-depth interviews with learners, logs completed by tutors, follow-up interviews 6-8 months later,…

A series of sequentially replicated case studies examined the use of information technologies in the context of existing adult literacy programs. Literacy programs offered by the following institutions were studied: Watts Adult Learning Center (Los Angeles, California); Creative Academic Achievement Pro-Success Learning Center (McAllen, Texas);…

Library literacy programs may be on-going or short-term, formal or informal, large or small. Librarians need to be aware of these programming options and select the program appropriate to their community's literacy needs and the resources the library can make available. This manual is designed to assist librarians in considering options and…