On every continent and in virtually every sovereign nation, rural people are not nearly as well served by educational programs as their fellow countrymen who reside in urban centers. Those persons in governmental agencies who seek solutions to the problems of rural education are confronted by scattered student populations, hostile geography,…

This agenda document begins with the mission statement for the National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE), a statement which briefly discusses the four objectives around which the research and service agendas of NCRVE have been organized. Part 1 of the document, contains descriptions of research projects that will be conducted.…

Competitive tendering processes have emerged within Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector as part of a more general drive to increase efficiency and effectiveness in public administration and government program delivery. Despite the persistence of several issues and stakeholder concerns that must be explored and resolved,…

This combination report/guide summarizes practical "how-to" information on the development and operation of national training boards that was gathered in a series of case studies of the effectiveness of national training boards in Canada, Singapore, Sweden, and the United Kingdom and in studies of training boards in Australia, Brazil,…

Five research institutes covering five European Union (EU) member states and five Central and Eastern European countries participated in a scenario project designed to improve understanding of vocational education and training (VET) systems in their economic-technological, employment-labor, and training-knowledge environments. The participating…

This report records the main themes of the discussions and recommendations made at a policy consultation on the Connexions Service. Section 1 examines the current use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in relation to relevant forms of personal information, advice, and guidance leading to personal development for young people aged…

This report presents an overview of the present state of adult education in Finland. Organized in 10 chapters, the main body of the report is contained in the first four chapters. The first chapter reviews the Finnish educational system as a whole, including its structure and policy for secondary, higher, and adult education. Plans for improvement…

This document reports on phases 2 and 3 of the Phare Special Preparatory Programme for the European Social Fund (SPP-ESF), which involved national, supplementary, and local seminars to assess the following countries' needs for assistance from the ESF: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, the Slovak…

Australia's career guidance system and policies were evaluated. The review team met with policymakers and guidance practitioners in four states and at the national level, conducted site visits to various career guidance providers in the public and private sectors, analyzed data from a national questionnaire, and reviewed pertinent documentation.…

This document is intended for adult education providers in Victoria, Australia, who intend to deliver courses leading to one or more of the following certificates in general education for adults: Certificate I in General Education for Adults (Foundation); Certificate II in General Education for Adults; and Certificate II in General Education for…

The financing of vocational education and training (VET) in the Netherlands was examined through an analysis of the following: economic, political, legal and administrative context of financing of the VET system; public and private funding of initial and continuing VET; funding of training for unemployed individuals; and the future of VET…

This publication summarizes presentations and discussions from a conference that addressed specific issues in the National Assessment of Vocational Education and in the 1990 Perkins Act that mandated the assessment. Introductory materials include a summary of consensus issues from the conference (David Boesel), welcoming remarks (Bruno Manno), and…

This collection of 22 papers is organized by the five conference topics. "Part 1: Effects of the Perkins Act on Policy and Practice" contains five papers: "Federal Legislation as Rorschach Test: Methodological Issues in Assessing the Effects of the 1990 Perkins Act on States and Localities" (Grubb); "Effects of the 1990…

Denmark's career guidance system and policies were evaluated. The review team met with policymakers and guidance practitioners in the public and private sectors, analyzed data from a national questionnaire, and reviewed pertinent documentation. The evaluation focused on the following areas: coordinating mechanisms; the role of Denmark's National…

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…