This book contains 12 papers that were produced as a result of a seminar program on selected issues central to the debate over job training in Great Britain. The first paper, "Why We Need a Training Reform Act" (Richard Layard, Ken Mayhew, Geoffrey Owen), examines existing deficiencies in vocational education and training in Britain and proposes a strategy for remedying them. Discussed in the following eight papers are the role of firms, individuals, and government in providing/improving vocational education and training: "The Welfare Economics of Training" (Richard Layard); "The Demand for Skilled Labour" (D. L. Bosworth, R. A. Wilson); "Training Quality and Trainee Exploitation" (Paul Ryan); "Labour Markets and Skill Utilization" (Alice Lam, David Marsden); "The Response of Individuals" (Joan Payne); "New Training Institutions at the Local Level" (Robert J. Bennett); "Training Policy for the Unemployed" (Richard Jackman, Marcus Rubin); and "The Economic Value of Education and Training" (Christopher Dougherty). The following papers examine lessons regarding vocational education and training from outside the United Kingdom: "A Comparison of National Institutions" (David Finegold, Colin Crouch); "The German Training System" (Peter B. Berg); and "Social Skills from Mass Higher Education: Lessons from the US" (David Soskice). Sixty tables/figures and a subject index are included. Most papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)