The past, present, and future of vocational education and training (VET) in Belgium were examined. The examination focused on the following topics: Belgium's education system; VET for young people; continuing vocational training; financing of continuing VET; qualitative aspects of VET; training of trainers; and trends and prospects. The following…

This document contains eight papers on adult learning and literacy research and practice. "The Year 1999 in Review" (Dave Speights) presents an overview of adult learning and literacy research funding, policy, and activities in 1999. "Making Sense of Critical Pedagogy in Adult Literacy Education" (Sophie C. Degener) details a…

The extent to which vocational education and training (VET) policy is nurturing lifelong learning in Sweden was examined through a review of recent policy documents issued by various Swedish government agencies and data from comparative studies compiled by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Adult…

The new emphasis on welfare reform, self-reliance, and individual accountability and the new time limits imposed by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program have resulted in large numbers of people between the ages of 18 and 24 entering the work force. The three main career options for youth in transition from school to work are…

The state of Australian online education and training practices was examined through a literature review and interviews. Special attention was paid to the following aspects of online vocational and technical education (VET) and technical and further education (TAFE): current online implementations; online teaching strategies; issues for online…

Adult continuing education (ACE) can be a major force in human capital development and an integral part of lifelong learning. Although recognition of the importance of ACE in developed countries is increasing, the impact of ACE is not well understood in some middle-income countries (MICs), there is a lack of leadership, and the sector is somewhat…

Although communities are making progress in establishing comprehensive systems for serving youth, they still face challenges. Enabling conditions that have allowed innovative youth councils to develop systems of youth development, education, and employment include: (1) youth opportunity grants; (2) established intermediary organizations; (3)…

This report is the product of an effort by the Office of Technology Policy to assess current and future needs for information technology (IT) workers through a comprehensive information-gathering project that included the following three activities: (1) nationwide regional meetings that included discussions with industry executives,…

Ways of increasing awareness of and access to literacy programs for Native people in Toronto, Ontario, were examined. Data were collected through the following activities: a literature review; meetings with stakeholders and the public; surveys of learners, Native literacy workers, executive directors, and steering committee members; and focus…

The 2-year impacts of 11 welfare-to-work programs across the United States were evaluated to determine the relative effectiveness of different approaches to moving individuals from welfare to work. All 11 programs operated under the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program. Four programs were employment focused (three low-enforcement and one…

This book, which is designed primarily for undergraduate and graduate students of education, contains 12 papers devoted the New Labour's policies for schools in the United Kingdom. "Introduction" (Jim Docking) presents an overview of the book's contents and lists questions to help evaluate the effectiveness of New Labour's educational…

This report contains statistics from 382 schools engaged in the business of preparing teachers. Of this number, 80 are teachers colleges, 110 are State normal schools, 63 are private normal schools, 34 are city normal schools, and 95 are county normal schools. Although only 11 more schools are included in this report than were included in 1920, a…

During the early part of the present century it became clear that in our efforts to emphasize general education we were neglecting vocational education. The agitation to correct that defect resulted in the passage of the Smith-Hughes law in 1917 and the development of an effective system of vocational education "of less than college…

This document profiles 31 federal programs from which funding for adult literacy may be available. The document's three sections present descriptions of the following types of sources of funding and programs: (1) single pieces of legislation that contribute the major federal share of federal support for adult education in the United States; (2)…

A 6-month consultation process was conducted to identify changes needed in Ireland's system of adult education in the era of lifelong learning. The following issues were addressed: (1) financial barriers for adults wishing to return to education; (2) the lack of access to mainstream programs of education and training; (3) the lack of information…