By the end of 1999, an estimated 259,880 individuals were undertaking apprenticeship or traineeship in Australia, an increase of 18.7 percent from the end of 1998. There were almost 193,000 apprentice and trainee commencements during 1999, an increase of 25.3 percent over 1998 and 32.1 percent of these were at AQF level III or higher in the…

A survey offers the first overview of lifelong learning activities undertaken in the member states of the European Union, noting the strategies being implemented to varying degrees from one country to the next and presenting a first snapshot of the trends that have developed. The survey found that lifelong learning is a concept that emerged in the…

This document reports the findings of seven case studies undertaken as part of a larger research project on the measuring and reporting of intellectual capital, being conducted by an Australian research team. The case studies aimed to investigate in more detail the approach of seven Australian organizations and enterprises to the recording and…

Three presentations are provided from Symposium 13, Knowledge and Intellectual Capital, of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) 2000 Conference proceedings. "Human Capital Measurement" (Joanne Provo) begins with a literature review that provides a context for understanding how investments in human capital add value to the…

This information package looks at the methods of financing vocational education and training (TVET), especially in European countries. The first section examines categories of training, who should pay for training, possible fund-raising or revenue-generating mechanisms, financing mechanisms, and limitations of financing TVET. In the second part, a…

A study attempted to determine whether the United States experience of continuing education and training provides an appropriate resource for changes intended to increase lifelong learning in the United Kingdom by considering institutional and cultural differences for the two countries. The study considered the trajectories for lifelong learning…

A 1999 survey of employer views on vocational education and training (VET) interviewed 3,558 employers of recent VET graduates and 2,495 employers with no VET graduates. Focuses The focus was employers' characteristics, their general views on VET, and information on their organizations' training practices. Findings indicated the following: (1) the…

This guide is designed to help those involved with the United Kingdom's Workers' Educational Association (WEA) to recognize the learning needs of and to develop teaching methods for students with visual impairments (VIs). Introductory materials cover objectives and how to use the guide. Section 1, "What Do We Mean by VI?" compares…

Contrary to most previous research findings concerning influences on pupil achievement, data from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East show that the predominant influence on student learning is the quality of the schools and the teachers to which children are exposed. (RM)

Describes Sweden's massive effort to bring democracy to the workplace through programs of worker education and participation in industrial decision making. Stresses that the United States can learn much from the Swedish workplace education experience. (Author/MJL)

Discusses the increased interest in providing educational opportunities for the elderly in industrialized countries. Describes the educational objectives of older students and educational opportunities such as Swedish study circles, Scandinavian folk high schools, the Universities of the Third Age, and the Open University of the United Kingdom.…

It has been assumed that colonial schooling systems were always poor quality reproductions of the educational system in the colonizing (metropolitan) power. This paper compares the structures and curricula of colonial and metropolitan schools, finding not a reproduction, but a hierarchy, with the metropolitan school on top. (SJL)

Discusses features in the Western cultural background which may be relevant to changes in international opinion. Notes problems of freedom of information and cultural processes caused by mass communication among nations, including the high violence content of United States television programs compared with those of Canada and Europe. (MF)

Presents an abstract from "The School in Question" by Torsten Husen, which is a result of a series of seminars organized by the Aspen Institute. The book identifies symptoms of institutional malaise in Western societies, diagnoses causes of the malaise, and suggests institutional changes to remedy the situation. (Author/KC)

The conclusions drawn in Torsten Husen's book, "The School in Question," are questioned. The author sees nothing in the change of values which Husen discusses which would bring about institutional change. Specifically, the author takes issue with Husen's prediction that the emphasis on diplomas and certificates will change. (Author/KC)