Recent trends and developments related to the structures of qualification levels in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom were examined in a quasi-experimental study that was part of a more comprehensive study on the same topic. The study focused on standards, qualifications, and classifications at the tertiary level of…

To help families leave public assistance and escape poverty, the public sector must invest in career advancement strategies that enable parents to access jobs with family-supporting wages, benefits, and opportunities for career advancement. Welfare time limits have made career advancement more important than ever. The following services promote…

This book examines trends and problems in Canadian workplaces and advocates a people-centered agenda for improving the quality of working life. Chapters 1-9 discuss the following topics: the future of work; the crisis in work; what Canadians want from work; the "new economy"; education, skills, and the knowledge economy; youth and work;…

Focusing on interactions between theory and practice in adult education, this proceedings of refereed papers (45), symposia (3) and roundtable summaries (21) include the following: "Adult Literacy Classroom as a Social System" (Beder); "Documenting Outcomes for Learners and Their Communities" (Bingman, Mincey); "Essence of…

Changes in the extent, pattern, and outcomes of young Australians' participation in firm-based training from the 1980s to the 1990s were analyzed by comparing data from the Australian Youth Survey (AYS) and the Australian Longitudinal Survey (ALS). In 1994, 46% of those in the AYS sample participated in formal training (at age 16-24 years) and…

Data primarily from Australia's Youth in Transition Survey were analyzed to explain differences in the schooling decisions of individuals born in 1961 versus 1970. The main measured factors affecting individuals' schooling decisions were as follows: ability; school type; and family background. Participation in school was positively associated with…

The impact of career and technical education (CTE) reforms and comprehensive school reforms in high schools on education outcomes for at-risk youth was examined in a review of research on current reforms. The review identified a series of individual, family and home, school, and community factors that can place students at risk of failing to…

This document is a compilation of the four issues in the 22nd volume of "Classroom Notes Plus." The August 2004 issue includes: Celebrating Our Names (Nitza Agam); Group Resume (Jennifer L. Alex); There's Much to Learn from Listening (Ann McKenna); Roll Call Turns into Brainstorming (John R. Banks); Create Your Own Museum (Jennifer Collison);…

The generic skills needed for the new economy were identified through a review of research studies. First, the development of sets of key competencies/key skills in Great Britain, the United States, and Australia were examined. The U.S. model, which involves a broader, more flexible, and more holistic set of generic skills, was contrasted with the…

The changing role of staff development for teachers and trainers in Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector was examined. Data collection strategies were as follows: a preliminary analysis of VET staff development provision; a literature review of mainly Australian sources; a Delphi survey involving 31 key stakeholders in VET…

The prospects for managing the tension between accountability and improvement in further and higher education (FHE) were examined through a literature review and a 5-year ethnographic study of a change management project at a higher education college in Wales. Special attention was paid to the following challenges facing FHE: globalization; the…

This document contains three papers on managerial performance issues. "Managerial Skill Requirements: Evidence from the Scottish Visitor Attraction Industry" (Sandra Watson, Martin McCracken) presents the findings from an exploratory study of those skills that managers in the Scottish visitor attraction sector considered most important…

English translations of articles in French in this issue include these: "Discourse Reported in the Print Media"; "Comparison of Register in Quebec and French Speakers"; "Method of Description of Specialized Verbs in View of Machine Translation Applications"; "Dialectal Areas in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande…

The licensure requirements for technology teachers vary widely from state to state. The goals of the alternative teacher licensure movement have been to allow more individuals to become certified as teachers more quickly and to attract more people with life experiences into teaching without the necessary completion of traditional undergraduate…

The role of career and technical education (CTE) was explored through a review of the research on CTE. Research on the following topics was examined: the high school dropout problem; high school graduates' transition to work; unprepared college students; the importance of noncollege careers; things employers really want; CTE's promise; the history…