During the 1980s, most of the new job growth has occurred in small businesses. Not only is the small business enterprise growing, but also its nature is changing. For example, there is an increase in the number of small businesses in the service industry, and a greater number of women than men are starting businesses. Training youth and adults for…

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 represents the largest amount of federal funding ever authorized for vocational education. Effective July 1, 1991, the act enables Congress to spend up to $1.6 billion per year on state and local programs that teach the "skill competencies necessary to work in a…

As a result of the educational reform movement of the 1980s, there has been increased emphasis on joint efforts between the private sector and the educational system. Although early efforts focused on college-bound youth, changing demographics, a decline in the nation's productivity, and heightened international competition have increased concern…

The fifth National Education Goal--every adult will be literate and possess the necessary skills for competing in a global economy and to exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship--is being implemented in part through workplace literacy programs. To reach the goal of universal literacy in the United States, five objectives were…

Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing rates remain higher in the United States than in most Western nations; more than 500,000 teenage girls have babies every year. As these teen parents mature, they have diminished educational and career expectations. A small number of programs directed toward the career needs of teenage parents was developed…

The most significant factors affecting the labor market during the 1980s were the United States' loss of competitiveness in the world marketplace, continued shifts in production from goods to services, changes in the skill requirements of many jobs, and demographic shifts in the population. During the next decade, incompatibility between the type…

Workplace literacy was the focus of attention during the era of the National Workplace Literacy Program (NWLP), funded by the U.S. Department of Education from 1988-1996. Since then, it has not disappeared, in part because recent legislation such as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and Welfare Reform Act has increased the work-related focus of…

During the 1980s, the United States experienced a resurgence of interest in adult literacy that is likely to continue through the 1990s. The factors that have led to renewed concern about adult literacy include the following: a changing workplace requiring increased literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills; a recognition that new entrants to…

This digest about issues currently being debated in the adult literacy field examines the appropriate goals and objectives for adult literacy education, professionalization of the field, and literacy program evaluation. The first section reflects the disagreement between those who believe the purpose of literacy education should be to support…

School-to-work transition (SWT) programs are comprehensive programs to prepare young people for high-skill, high-wage careers and teach them the basic skills needed to pursue postsecondary education/lifelong learning. Interest in SWT programs has been stimulated by several factors, including declining U.S. competitiveness in the global market, the…

Correctional education is a generic term describing a wide range of educational activities that take place in institutional and community settings. In 1986, 37 states and the District of Columbia provided correctional education to incarcerated adults directly through state departments of corrections. In addition, several states have created…

The increase in the number of youth under age 18 enrolling in federally funded adult basic and literacy education programs is a trend that is putting increasing pressures on programs designed to serve an adult population. Documenting the extent of the trend is difficult due to the way in which federal statistics on age of program participants have…

Current trends related to older adults have the potential of influencing programs and services in adult, career, and vocational education. The amount and kind of learning in which older adults engage is one trend of interest to educators. A 1997 study reveals that older people are learning in numbers and amounts of time expended at a rate far…

In an effort to shift the focus of employment programs from unemployment to reemployment, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is funding the development and implementation of a one-stop employment system. The DOL has largely left states free to design their one-stop systems provided programs have these features: (1) universality, (2) customer…

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that educational institutions make all of their programs, services, and activities readily accessible to and usable by learners with disabilities. The ADA also requires that all screening and testing procedures used to evaluate learners with disabilities be fair, accurate, and nondiscriminatory.…