The key issues, alternatives, and implications for developing countries to consider when designing systems to define occupational standards, related training standards, and assessments were analyzed. The analysis focused on the following issues: the rationale for development of standards; clarification of definitions, terminology, and assumptions;…

This document contains five papers from a 1999 workshop in Rome on enhancing the professional skills and qualifications of trainers in open and distance learning organized by the TTnet network (Training of Trainers network). "The Different Types of Open and Distance Training and Their Impact on Trainers' Skills" (Michel Tetart) examines…

Older teens living in families receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) face serious sociodemographic disadvantages. When combined with the characteristic risk-taking behaviors of adolescence, these disadvantages pose a threat to TANF teens' immediate and future physical, psychological, and emotional health and to their long-term…

Of the 477,800 students reported to Australia's national vocational education and training (VET) data collection in 2000, 237,900 were enrolled in a vocational adult and community education (ACE) program. More than 70% of the latter individuals undertook informal training. Vocational ACE programs accounted for 49.8% of all ACE students and nearly…

This publication provides resources for linking vocational programs with five special populations. Sections 1-5 each focus on one special population and contain some or all of these resources: activities; recruitment; teacher tips; laws; staff development; funding streams; parent advice; instructional modifications; websites; community resources;…

This book contains 15 papers examining European approaches to the theme of key qualifications. The following papers are included: "Key Qualifications Revisited: An Introduction" (Pekka Kamarainen); "Exploring Key Qualifications: Context, Theory, and Practice in Europe" (Pekka Kamarainen); "Rethinking Key Qualifications:…

This annotated bibliography is designed to inform vocational education and training specialists in Europe of new publications on lifelong learning. The 394 publications included are organized into four sections. Section 1 is organized by the following key themes: (1) skill development (literacy, learning to learn); (2) human and financial…

This report draws on the Youth in Transition surveys to present educational participation rates for various categories of Australian youth. The focus is on how educational experiences differ among the categories and on the way in which such differences may have changed over time. Chapter 2 describes the way in which educational participation of…

Faced with worker displacement stemming from a changing economy, states are acting to soften the economic impact of displacement on affected individuals and businesses. Key strategies and practices are as follows: (1) anticipating layoffs by analyzing economic and labor market trends (using data to anticipate layoffs; developing an early warning…

Patterns of success and failure in the transition from school to work in Australia in the 1980s-1990s were examined by analyzing data from the Australian Youth Survey. Of those studied, 20% found full-time jobs upon leaving school and remained in full-time employment for the next 7 years, 13% obtained apprenticeships or traineeships leading to…

Data taken primarily from the Australian Youth Survey were used to model unemployment as a function of personal characteristics, family structure, and neighborhood composition using binomial probit estimation techniques. The cross-sectional model developed indicated that significant neighborhood effects on unemployment outcomes exist in high- and…

This document contains papers from a 2-day meeting on identification, evaluation, and recognition of nonformal learning in the European Union. The following papers are included: "Identification, Assessment, and Recognition of Non-Formal Learning: European Tendencies" (Jens Bjornavold); "Why Measure Human Capital?" (Riel…

The evolution of tech prep during the late 1990s was examined in a 4-year longitudinal study of 8 selected tech prep consortia since reauthorization of federal tech prep legislation in 1998. Cross-consortium results pertaining to curriculum reform, articulation, academic standards, and other essential elements of tech prep were examined along with…

The impact of developments in work organizations on the skilling process in Denmark was studied through a macro analysis of available statistical information about the development of workplace training in Denmark and case studies of three Danish firms. The macro analysis focused on the following: Denmark's vocational training system; the Danish…

This guide focuses on two interrelated areas of developing vocational education curricula: designing a thematic curriculum and using the "all aspects of the industry" approach when creating thematic curricula. The following are among the topics discussed in the guide's eight sections: principles of the thematic curriculum and its…