This paper was presented to a meeting of the Wellington Exchange, an international group of higher education officials, in December 2008. One of the topics of the meeting was around the issue of possible skills shortages emerging as a result of demographic trends, with the ageing of the population of developed countries. The paper argues that this…

For those who still see tenure primarily as a form of job security, the larger economic context should be plain. No one, not even in the traditional professions, can any longer expect a fixed pattern of employment in the course of his or her lifetime. In this article, the author discusses how this generation is witnessing the merging of the…

Discusses trends that will shape the last years of the twentieth century: (1) the U.S. economy should grow at a steady pace; (2) service industries will dominate the economy; (3) the work force will grow slowly, becoming older, more female, and more disadvantaged; and (4) new jobs will require higher skills levels. (JOW)

The World Employment Report indicates that the number of unemployed and underemployed workers around the world has never been higher and will grow as a result of the financial crisis in Asia and other parts of the world. Worker training provides an effective means to resolve this problem. (Author/JOW)

The "market" is not a natural phenomenon but a social relationship. Growing gaps in income distribution and changes in employment patterns are dramatically increasing inequality. Vocational and adult educators accept too readily the claim that training can change the economic environment. (SK)

Compares the traditional model of a service economy to models based on analyses of actual economic and employment trends, and discusses the role of information technologies in producer and consumer services; current policy issues concerning the information sector; and the need to integrate the concepts of goods and services. (CLB)

Sketches out a framework linking black labor market trends in the post World War II era to actual and potential changes in black family patterns. Summarizes selected scholarship and then provides a gender-specific analysis of the changing employment status of black Americans. Urgres that links be made between black family life and the political…

Evaluates three broad dimensions of new urban-growth and urban-decline patterns in the United States on the basis of results from the 1990 census. These dimensions involve new patterns of urbanization, the expanded growth of the nation's minority populations, and the continued spread of population and jobs outward from central cities. (GLR)

Written in the first quarter of 1980, this paper describes economic conditions at that time and makes projections concerning the future. The paper attempts to present a brief look at the same issues surveyed in the longer report EA 013 118. After warning that economic conditions are hard to assess and still harder to predict, the author asserts…

An examination of the relationship of higher education and employment in Spain looks at: issues in the internal debate over the relationship; the evolution of the job market within the Spanish economy; existing analyses of employment trends and labor needs; and the response of Spanish universities to graduate employment problems and the…

This paper considers the economics of employment and education in industralized countries, particularly European countries. The paper covers six main topics. The first part deals with the present European employment situation, using figures mainly from Holland; the second part is an economic outlook for the 1980s; in the third, the employment and…

A futurist presents a picture of "cautious optimism" for the decade ahead in terms of resources--natural, technological, economic, organizational/political, human, labor and wages, and education and job skills. Our biggest problem, he says, is divisiveness, and education can help by preparing citizens to contribute to society through work. (MF)

An examination is provided of the environmental, economic, and educational factors that will influence the courses, programs, and services of the community college in the future. Introductory remarks provide an overview of the future of the community college, detailing factors affecting the institutions such as the tax revolution, declining…

We are witnessing an historic shift in our approach to employment policy that will have profound implications for vocational educators. This shift is most recognizable in the waning influence of demand-side economics and the ascendence of supply-side economics. Recent indications are that public policy is no longer firmly committed to maintaining…

This report examines the causes and consequences of youth unemployment in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries. Summarized first is the youth unemployment situation since the 1974/1975 recession. In a section on recent developments in youth labor markets a series of tables and graphs provide data on youth…