In the growing shipbuilding industry along the Gulf Coast, not only is it difficult to find skilled workers to fill open positions, but the problem is also compounded because various shipyards have different definitions of what a welder or shipfitter does. To combat the issue, the Alabama Technology Network (ATN)--the state's Manufacturing…

The instructional systems development (ISD) approach for the development and accomplishment of vocational training programs provides a methodology for gathering and analyzing job information, developing instructional materials in a variety of media, conducting instruction, and evaluating and improving the effectiveness of training programs. This…

A study identified four principles, based on transfer of learning research and cognitive theory, for guiding curricular decisions, instructional development, and teaching practices in ways that support transferable learning. The principles were as follows: (1) emphasize intermediate-level knowledge in curricular decisions; (2) create in the…

Reviewing accreditation standards and employer needs surveys emphasizing the importance of general skills for graduating occupational students, this paper describes the 5-year process utilized at Tacoma Community College, in Washington, to develop and implement a general education program for its occupational degree and technical certificate…

This booklet is intended to help persons interested in developing and implementing a competency-based training (CBT) program. It begins with a definition of CBT and outlines the steps involved in developing and implementing a CBT program (with emphasis on available materials and existing programs in Australia). The first section is a series of…

This description of the development of North Lake College's (NLC's) academic cooperative program begins by outlining the philosophy of cooperative education and discussing its objective of increasing educational growth through the integration of classroom theory and direct workplace involvement. Next, an overall rationale for cooperative education…

Intended for school administrators and prevocational education teachers, this guide provides information, program standards, policies, and concepts for a prevocational education program. The information is designed to aid in formulating a valid perception of prevocational education and to serve as a reference for program planning and curriculum…

A study identified and verified the professional education competencies needed and presently held by beginning teachers of vocational agriculture in Tennessee. To obtain these data researchers designed a survey instrument that listed 99 competencies under the following areas: program planning, development, and evaluation; planning of instruction;…

A discussion is provided of the role of community colleges as the primary delivery sources for workforce retraining, using the Pellissippi State Workforce Innovation Program as a case study. The first sections of the paper document the need for worker retraining in the United States, reporting the Department of Labor Secretary's Commission on…

A project was undertaken to develop an inservice staff development program for vocational teachers working with disadvantaged students in local school districts in Pennsylvania. The focus of the inservice activity was on the improvement of instructional approaches such as individualized instruction, teaching and reteaching, small group…

Project COMPETE was designed to promote the successful transition of students with severe handicaps from school to adult life and work in integrated community settings. The project developed an instructional program, trained staff members of the Nassau County (New York) Board of Cooperative Educational Services, recruited jobs for the students,…

Developed from a review of research, policies, exemplary practices, and leading thinking, this guide addresses educational program design questions. The document is divided into two parts, Part One contains the recommended design features of career and technical education, including these 12 operational design features: learning context; audience;…

This report, the third in a series of works dealing with improving vocational students' basic skill levels, uses a case study approach to examine the process at the local district level of selecting, planning, and implementing a basic skill delivery model. Presented first are an introductory discussion of the background and purpose of the report…

States must ensure that persons inadequately served by vocational education programs, particularly the disadvantaged, have equal access to vocational education. The methods of assuring compliance with federal regulations mandating equal access that are reviewed in this document are intended to be adapted or adopted by state and local…

A study examined current research on the proficiency of vocational students in basic skill areas and explored current practices for improving the basic skills of vocational students at the secondary and postsecondary levels. Based on current research, vocational students, on an average, seemed to be less proficient in basic skills than were their…