A national qualifications framework (NQF) is an instrument used to classify a country's qualifications at different levels. Each level is defined by a set of learning outcomes expected at that level. NQFs can be useful tools in education and training reforms and are vital reference points for lifelong learning and comparing qualifications across…

Linkages between the labor market and educational institutions are often less than optimal because institutions have too few business/industry contacts, supply and demand are mismatched, or curriculum development takes too long. International comparisons may contribute to understanding of vocational education and training configurations and…

The National Apprenticeship System is a formal system for training skilled craftworkers. An automated system for recordkeeping and management purposes, the Apprenticeship Management System, has been developed. It constitutes a complete management system and provides information for fund management control, data for preparing monthly and quarterly…

Following the lead of the Department of Further Education in South Australia, the Australian Conference of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Directors began a TAFE Clearinghouse, having as its major goal the promotion of initiatives in research, investigation, and innovation in technical and further education. The Clearinghouse's functions…

Includes "Difficult Metamorphosis of the Social 'Models' of the Nordic Countries" (Goetschy); "Swedish Training System" (Ottersten); "Features of Vocational Education in Finland" (Kyro); "Boom in Apprenticeship Training in Finland" (Vartiainen); "Vocational Training in Austria" (Riemer);…

Swiss engineering education is detailed and the roles of public enterprise, society, industry, and the engineering profession are illustrated. Educational issues are discussed in an international context. (CW)

This article distinguishes research--the discovery of new knowledge--from innovation, which is understood to be the transformation of practice in a community or the incorporation of existing knowledge into economic activity. From a survey of roles served by vocational education institutions in a number of OECD countries the paper argues that…

The VETO-project is part of the National Strategy's goals for providing learning opportunities through the use of networks in vocational education in Finland. The National Board of Education, University of Tampere and Hame Polytechnic, Vocational Teacher Education College, and several vocational pilot institutes located at different regions in…

Reviews the efforts made over the last 30 years to stimulate improvements in the education of librarians in Greece, emphasizing the causes for the shortcomings in the present situation as they relate to the Greek educational system and the current pattern of staffing libraries. A 19-item reference list is included. (Author/JL)

Examines recent attempts to restructure French secondary schooling in order to provide equal opportunity and more relevant curriculum. Discusses some impediments to these reforms, particularly the opposition of teachers and their unions. (SJL)

The purpose of this report is to determine how best to ensure that California citizens will have high quality private postsecondary education opportunities and further, to assess the appropriate role for the State to play. It has been 14 years since the Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education Reform Act was passed, and a number of…

Discusses the content and implications of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's review of vocational education in Canada. The external examiners critized vocational education courses as inferior and not integrated with general education, which the process of career development requires. (MF)

Describes the labor market and employment policies in Sweden, which have been studied by the United States Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration in planning its employment programs to increase the involvment of business and labor, provide countercyclical program capacity, and expand the role of occupational training. (MF)

A discussion of Scotland's new modular approach to vocational education and certification, providing training modules in both secondary and higher education institutions, looks at problems created, particularly in the secondary education system. Unified academic/vocational or dual-track systems are considered as alternatives to the current…

Britain's General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) represent a new qualification that offers students a broadly based preparation for employment as well as an accepted route to further and higher education. They are of equal standing with academic qualifications at the same level and are designed to fit between and to complement the…