From a macroeconomic perspective, the evolving demand for skills in the United States has been triggered by the accelerated expansion of computer and information technology, which has, in turn, brought significant changes to the workplace. Technological advances have made some wholly manual jobs obsolete. But even for many other workers, a rapidly…

The effects of literacy and livelihood programs on female learners' participation in literacy were examined through case studies of groups of women who participated in four literacy and income-earning projects in Kenya. Data were collected through focus group discussions and a questionnaire. The four programs were started between 1968 and 1999 and…

The reasons why undereducated individuals choose not to participate in adult education were examined in a comparative, qualitative case study that was conducted in eight nonmetropolitan sites (including the pilot site) in diverse economic regions across Kentucky. Data were collected from the following sources: in-depth interviews with 84 adults…

The case for and consequences of redefining poverty were considered. The analysis focused on the following issues: (1) remeasuring poverty in a time of prosperity; (2) alternative poverty measures; (3) consequences of and enhanced poverty threshold; (4) assessing the performance of employment and training programs in achieving income adequacy…

The linkages between disability and health status and the returns to education and basic skills training were examined through an analysis of data from wave 3 of the 1993 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS). The data sets were used to estimate standard wage equations with…

Structured work and training activities for welfare recipients in West Virginia began in 1962 when the state's entire caseload of two-parent families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children was enrolled in mandatory work and training activities. In 1980s-1990s, the Community Work Experience Program became an important tool in…

Parents' Fair Share (PFS) was a national demonstration program to help low-income noncustodial parents find more stable and better-paying jobs, pay child support consistently, and become more involved parents. PFS provided the following services: employment and training services; peer support groups; voluntary mediation between parents; and…

The model currently used to represent the impacts of Australia's technical and further education (TAFE) programs implies a one-way flow of impact from TAFE to student to community. It may be argued that TAFE could better serve its clients by developing a social capital-based, two-way, reciprocal dynamic of vocational education and training (VET)…

The foundations of Iceland's vocational education and training (VET) system were laid in the last quarter of the 19th century and first decades of the 20th century. Many components of Iceland's VET system are based on Danish models. Most development of VET in Iceland occurred in 1966-1990. Iceland's Act of Vocational Education was passed in 1966,…

The report describes the implementation and continuing documentation of a Japanese second language program in a laboratory elementary school at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). The structure of the curriculum and instructional strategies used are described for each of the program's 2 years, and results of student assessments and…

The emergence of tech-prep at the state and local levels was examined in a study of the first surveys of state and local coordinators: a survey of all 812 tech-prep consortia receiving Title IIIE funds for school year 1992-93 (response rate 86%) and a state survey of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (to…

This document contains information from the national forum Creating a Literate Future for the Year 2000, which was held to help state team delegations develop vision/mission statements and action plans citing goals, objectives, and activities for enhancing adult literacy and education for Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Presented first are…

The United Kingdom must invest in a comprehensive system of post-18 education that is broadly inclusive and that offers a broad range of educational opportunities to meet the needs of both the increasing numbers of 16-year-olds choosing to pursue postsecondary education and the many older individuals needing additional education throughout their…

This report is intended to provide a framework for state-level policy and planning in relationship to postsecondary education's role in workforce development. Underlying the report is a set of principles and priorities designed to reflect and shape current policy agendas, and which will address the needs of college-bound high school graduates,…

This book presents a case study of the MOVA (Movimento de Alfabetizacao de Jovens e Adultos) literacy program in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1989-1993. It examines the meaning and uses of literacy at the micro- and macro-levels, the interplay between both levels, and forces influencing educational policy formation and outcome. The foreword provides…