"Perspectives on Progress: The School-to-Work (STW) National Customer Dialogues" was a series of six regional and two national discussions that were held between December 1999 and July 2000 to gather the views of more than 700 employers, educators, labor union representatives, students, parents, community-based organizations, and state…

The future of low-wage jobs is examined through a case study of firm restructuring in the retail industry. The study confirms that the retailing sector has come to be dominated by the Wal-Mart model, which emphasizes an efficient technology-driven inventory management system and a human resource approach that includes the following elements:…

The business press abounds with examples of innovative companies that have created high-quality jobs; however, low-wage, deskilled jobs filled by contingent workers are equally prevalent. More than one in six U.S. workers currently hold retail jobs. The effect of globalization of trade on the retail industry is unclear. The most significant…

This booklet contains profiles of nine outstanding adult learners from eight Pennsylvania counties who have been recognized for their educational achievements and for acknowledging the power of education in their lives and overcoming great personal difficulties to improve and enhance the quality of their lives and those of their families and…

This report examines the financing of the two components of France's vocational education and training (VET) system. They are initial vocational training (IVT), which includes upper secondary and short forms of higher education, and continuing vocational training (CVT), which aims to help workers adapt to changes in working techniques and…

This two-volume document reports on a study of globalization and Australia's training market. Volume 1 begins by examining debate on globalization and industry training in Australia. Discussed next is the study methodology, which involved field studies of the metals and engineering industry in South West Sydney and the Hunter and the information…

Differences in the earnings of male and female graduates of technical and further education (TAFE) programs in Australia were examined in a study that focused primarily on graduates working full-time. Data were collected from the 1997 Graduate Destination Survey and from a series of focus groups and interviews with women TAFE graduates working in…

The transition from education to working life in the European Union (EU) was examined through a review of data from the following sources: the European Labour Force Survey; The Vocational Education and Training Data Collection (an annual collection of data produced by Eurostat); and national data supplied to the European Training Foundation by…

The position of women in South Australia's process manufacturing industry was examined, and the implications of the study findings for the vocational education and training (VET) sector were discussed. Of the 393 companies to which surveys were sent, 136 (35.8%) returned valid responses. Of the 8,000 people employed in the industry, only 26.1%…

The relationships existing among human capital theory, Australian public policy, literacy education, and the plight of Australia's long-term unemployed were examined. The following topics were considered: human capital theory-based public policies and literacy education; social capital and learning; building and using social capital; the…

In the year 2000, approximately 1.75 million Australians (13.2% of the country's population) undertook some form of vocational education and training (VET). Of all VET students, 75.5% undertook training with Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and other government providers versus 13.0% with community providers and 11.5% with other registered…

This report highlights findings from the fourth National Survey of Working America conducted for the National Career Development Association. The survey gathered information through interviews with a national sample of 1,003 adults, 18 years of age or older, representing a total population of 185.2 million adults, in summer 1999. The study…

As part of the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS), the experiences of welfare recipients who find jobs were studied. The study focused on the employment outcomes of 17,055 program group members from 6 of the 10 NEWWS evaluation sites. Data were obtained from unemployment insurance records and the findings of a survey…

The impacts of 20 welfare-to-work programs across the United States were evaluated to determine which clients derive the greatest benefits from different approaches to moving individuals from welfare to work. Of the 20 programs examined, 7 were characterized as employment focused, 5 provided a mix of first activities without an employment focus, 4…

This book examines how the Japanese learn to work by exploring the following topics: common assumptions about vocational education and training (VET) that Japan brings into question; Japan's general education system and the moral quality and prestige status of the teaching and learning process; screening processes within Japan's education system…