This book contains 19 papers on 20th century thinkers in adult and continuing education. The book is arranged in four parts as follows: early 20th century English thinkers; early 20th century American thinkers; theorists of adult and continuing education; and theorists of adult education and social change. The following papers are included:…

Efforts to improve career outcomes for youth in the United States and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries were reviewed. The review focused on the following topics: trends in the employment and schooling levels of youth in OECD countries; the emerging consensus on preparing all youth for careers; and approaches…

The volume and scope of research into adult and community education (ACE) in Australia have increased significantly over the past decade. Studies designed to map, reevaluate, showcase, and promote ACE have been funded by Australia's federal and state governments and by bodies such as Adult Learning Australia. Practitioner-generated research has…

Electronic learning, also known as e-learning, is generally defined as instruction and learning experiences that are delivered via electronic technology such as the Internet, audiotape and videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive television, and CD-ROM. Web-based learning, computer-based learning, and virtual classrooms are some of the…

The recent history of apprenticeship in Great Britain was examined to identify the issues arising from the latest reforms and future expansion of the system. A team of university academics with strong research interests in training and skills collected information from a large body of academic work in the field of apprenticeship and training and…

This document contains 162 papers and innovative sessions, two poster sessions presented at a conference on human resource development (HRD). A program overview, author index, and a keyword index are also included. The papers are grouped by the conference's 56 symposia, which were devoted to the following topics: HRD with International and…

Demographic and institutional factors responsible for the large variations of student retention and achievement at further education (FE) colleges throughout the United Kingdom were examined. Data from individualized student records were analyzed, and 10 FE colleges identified as serving areas of deprivation were visited to assess the extent to…

The rise of the office economy and its impact on vocational education and training (VET) in Australia were examined by replicating the methodology used in Carnevale and Rose's U.S. study on the impact of the new office economy. Both studies took a functional approach to analyzing economic activities and the work force and focused primarily on…

Existing equity strategies for postcompulsory education and training in Australia were examined to assess their effectiveness in a learning society. First, the equity and access policies in schools, vocational education and training (VET), higher education, and adult community education were compared. Next, educational outcomes of target groups in…

Nonformal education (NFE) in urban Kenya was examined in a study that focused on Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nairobi. Data were collected from the following sources: a literature review; investigations of 88 nonformal, informal, and community schools and centers in the three cities; and interviews with 14 key persons involved in delivery of NFE. The…

Increasing the mobility of service providers, including professionals, via mutual recognition (of regulatory systems) agreements (MRAs) has become a significant issue worldwide. Despite increasing interest in MRAs, it may be argued that MRAs are but one of a larger range of major developments that have fueled current interest in occupational…

Technology education focusing on technological literacy is provided to Taiwanese students in grades 1-11, primarily through the secondary school subject Living Technology (LT). Taiwan's newly promulgated national curriculum for grades 1-9 has integrated LT with natural science for the key learning area (KLA) Natural Science and Living Technology.…

Cyclical and structural issues in engineering skills formation in Great Britain were studied through a review of recent employment patterns, income patterns, employment projections, recent trends in education and training, and recent developments in technology and work organization. The review focused on the following issues: (1) the extent and…

England's Learning and Skills Development Agency welcomes the introduction of a coherent national funding and delivery strategy for adult literacy, numeracy, and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). The agency believes that the strategy should incorporate the lessons of previous literacy and numeracy initiatives and build on examples of…

The factors responsible for the atypical success experienced by some English further education (FE) colleges were examined through case studies of eight FE colleges that have managed to extend their high-quality vocational education and training (VET) provision in recent years. The 8 colleges were selected from only 56 identified as having…