The 1987 publication "Workforce 2000" included the following predictions for the remainder of the 20th century: (1) the U.S. economy would grown at a relatively healthy pace; (2) U.S. manufacturing would be a much smaller share of the economy in 2000; (3) the workforce would grow slowly, becoming older, more female, and more…

Participation in sport or fitness activities in Great Britain was examined through a survey of more than 6,000 adults throughout Great Britain. As of April 2001, 35% of adults surveyed were currently participating in sport or fitness activities. Those most likely to participate in sport or fitness activities were male, young, in high social…

Various economic, technology-related, and other factors have converged to serve as a catalyst for the emergence of workers who consider themselves free agents. Estimates of the number of free agent workers range from 12.9 to 25 million. Individual free agent workers may take widely varying approaches to their careers; however, all have taken…

By the end of 2005, the oldest baby boomers will begin turning 60. Although baby boomers have generally done better than any previous generation in terms of income and education, not all baby boomers have been successful. As baby boomers age, the total economically disadvantaged population will increase. Consequently, over the next decade, the…

Adult participation in the United Kingdom in 2001 was examined through interviews with a weighted sample of 6,310 adults over age 17 across Great Britain with a boosted sample in Wales. The following were among the key findings: (1) for the first time in 20 years, there was a marked upswing in adults' participation in learning from the previous…

This document contains six papers exploring the training and learning of older people in Australia's vocational education and training (VET), and of technical and further education (TAFE) programs in the adult and community sectors. "Preface" (Andrew Smith) discusses the adequacy of training opportunities available to older Australians…

This document contains three papers on integrating university and corporate learning with work. "Workplace Application of HRD Concepts as Perceived by Non-Traditional Adult Students and Their Workplace Supervisors" (Kit Brooks, Dale E. Thompson, Elizabeth S. Lizarraga) reports on a study in which nontraditional students enrolled in an…

The language competence of adults in Great Britain was examined in a national study involving interviews between April 28 and May 9, 1999, with a representative sample of 3,967 adults over the age of 16 years. Of those surveyed, 58% spoke only their mother tongue, 29% spoke one additional language, and 10% spoke two additional languages. Fifteen…

Canadians' employment and working patterns were examined by analyzing the 1998 survey called New Approaches to Lifelong Learning and other recent surveys by Statistics Canada. "Work" was defined as comprising household labor, community volunteer activities, and paid employment, and "learning" was defined as comprising informal…

The Foresight Ageing Population Panel, which included representatives of business, government, the science base, and other experts from the United Kingdom, was charged with examining trends in the United Kingdom's population and the other drivers of change that will operate in the next 20-30 years. The panel discussed the likely impacts of the…

Studies of 29 welfare reform initiatives conducted by the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation were synthesized in an exploration of how welfare and work policies affect employment and income. Each of the studies reviewed focused on one or more of the following key program features: mandatory employment services, earnings supplements, and…

Professionals have normally become qualified through a period of formal education followed by a structured training program and continuing professional development. This traditional pattern is being replaced with a process of lifelong learning that, thanks to the development and application of a wide range of information and communication…

Of the 477,800 students reported to Australia's national vocational education and training (VET) data collection in 2000, 237,900 were enrolled in a vocational adult and community education (ACE) program. More than 70% of the latter individuals undertook informal training. Vocational ACE programs accounted for 49.8% of all ACE students and nearly…

Trends in higher education (HE) in Scotland and elsewhere in the United Kingdom in the 1990s were reviewed, and possible policy directions for HE in the 21st century were explored. Special attention was paid to the following areas: features of HE institutions in the 21st century; the relationship between the state and HE institutions; curriculum…

Data from the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) were analyzed to compare the incidence and volume of continuing education (CE) and training among adults in the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The following were among the…