Leading-edge firms (LEFs)--at the forefront of their industry in terms of growth or market share--may influence skill development through diffusion of technology, products, or practices and use of market power to set standards or change customer businesses. Study of LEFs can identify the type and mix of skills needed in the industry. LEFs are…

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health created the School of the Future (SoF) project to enable selected Texas schools to coordinate and implement school-based social and health services on their campuses and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this method of service delivery by evaluating the project. At each of four urban sites consisting of a…

Texas is shifting to an integrated, systems-oriented approach to providing work force services for its residents and employers in which all services are guided by a single mission and vision. Implementation strategies are clearly focused on achieving common results. Accountability means being able to ensure taxpayers, residents, employers, and…

This paper offers an initial assessment of Texas' work force development evaluation and performance management efforts. Following an overview, section 2 clarifies distinctions between performance management and evaluation responsibilities such as purpose, definition, information produced, general question asked, and key questions addressed.…

The needs and opportunities in the heavy-duty alternative fuel vehicle training arena were examined in an informal ethnographic study of the appropriateness and effectiveness of the instructional materials currently being used in such training. Interviews were conducted with eight instructors from the National Alternative Fuels Training Program…

This publication introduces youth apprenticeship and reports on the experiences of businesses adopting this model. Part I presents the four fundamental components of the youth apprenticeship model--applied academics, on-the-job training, links with postsecondary learning opportunities, and standards and credentials--and posits its use as a…

This document presents guidelines for engaging employers in work-based learning programs offered by post-16 institutions in the United Kingdom. Chapter 1 explains why the guidelines are needed, how they were developed, and how they can be used. The following are among the topics examined in Chapters 2-6: (1) getting employers involved (benefits of…

This book examines the condition of America's poor and the policies used to help them, demonstrating that government aid has been far more effective in reducing poverty than most people think. One of the primary points of the book is that poverty is not synonymous with single mothers and their children on welfare; in fact, the majority of the poor…

This book presents young people's views, understanding, and opinions on a range of issues related to learning, employment, and the world of work in England. They are compared with the statements and policies of those responsible for education, training, and employment. Chapter 1 explores education, training, and employment options open to young…

This guide is for Neighborhood Networks center staff and volunteers who want to learn how centers across the country are helping adults meet work force demands. It provides resources to work force development programs so examples can be tailored to meet the needs of other communities. It focuses on challenges that integrating academics and job…

This report contains 36 1- or 2-page profiles of successful partnerships between Ohio businesses and industries and the EnterpriseOhio Network, a consortium of Ohio's two-year colleges and businesses formed to meet the state's work force development needs. The success stories illustrate how the EnterpriseOhio Network campuses and Ohio business,…

An analysis examined changes in participation in vocational education and training and in schooling and higher education in Australia. It drew principally on data from the Youth in Transitions study. Participation estimates were based on information from four cohorts of young people. Members of each cohort initially completed multiple-choice tests…

The Washington State welfare reform program WorkFirst is designed to move individuals from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) into the workforce. A critical question facing the program is how to assist participants in sustaining and advancing their employment. Three studies of those who exited the program measured multiple outcomes…

This brochure, part of a series about good practices in vocational training in the European Union, describes 10 projects that have promoted investment in human resources through training in the tourism sector to promote sustainable, or responsible, tourism. The projects and their countries of origin are as follows: (1) BEEFT, training of mobility…

Introduced in 1971, the French "Continuing Vocational Training (CVT)" system was designed to promote workers'"socio-professional promotion." The contribution of its induced mobility to the fulfillment of this objective has always been considered as one of its key performance indicators. Outcomes of the CVT over the last 3…