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Written for the Australian general reader who wants to understand important trends in vocational education and training, this document consists of a description of competency-based training (CBT) and assessment, a short test of readers' CBT understanding, and an annotated bibliography. The introduction states the aims of the document, lists five major steps in the development of CBT programs, and explains that CBT's superiority over traditional methods in bringing employees' skills to required levels is what accounts for its frequent adaptation. The five steps in CBT development are skill identification, organization of the skills into appropriate groups from which learning activities can be developed, development of the physical materials upon which the training program will be based, staff development, and detailed recordkeeping. The second section defines competence and applies that definition. The third section describes competency-based training programs, including desirable characteristics of such programs. The fourth section addresses the issues surrounding testing for competency, including why it should be done, gathering evidence, articulating standards, the validity and reliability of standards, cost-effectiveness, methods of assessing, recordkeeping, and maintaining standards. The fifth section considers the implications of CBT for employers, teachers, and learners. A short test of readers' understanding of CBT, 27 annotated references, and the answers to the test conclude the document. (CML)

The EMERGENCE project reviewed literature on eWork characterization, extent, and distribution and dynamics of its development in 15 European Union (EU) countries and 3 newly associated states (NAS). It identified 12 factors that influenced international diffusion of eWork. Employer survey results showed individual forms of eWork were outweighed in importance by collective forms--groups of workers at a remote office-type location linked to the employer. A model was developed to estimate eWork across the EU and forecast growth. Survey results showed the following: (1) outsourcing eWork primarily involved relocations in Europe; (2) eServices' selling points were technical expertise and low cost; and (3) trends in corporate restructuring were spatial concentration of activities to yield economies of scale, activities' expansion and decentralization to tap remote labor markets or capitalize on wage differentials, and access to knowledge through cooperation over distance. Small and medium-sized enterprises captured important segments of the remote business services market, especially software development and creative work. Distinct European paths to an information society were identified, including high-tech, highly developed social democratic; "corporatist," with more hierarchical occupation-based welfare systems; neo-liberal, using eWork to encourage external forms of flexibility; southern Europe with high use of eOutsourcing mostly within national borders; and NAS with extremely high levels of eOutsourcing, mostly outside national borders. (Appendixes include logistic models of eWork and eSupply and 128-item bibliography.) (YLB)

This two-volume document reports on a study of globalization and Australia's training market. Volume 1 begins by examining debate on globalization and industry training in Australia. Discussed next is the study methodology, which involved field studies of the metals and engineering industry in South West Sydney and the Hunter and the information technology industry in South West Sydney and the Central Coast of New South Wales. Presented next are major findings regarding the following issues: (1) labor market settings; (2) key challenges confronting both industries studied; (3) why emerging industry training markets are failing to meet the key challenges arising from globalization; and (4) implementation of competencies, the New Apprenticeships, and the training packages. Volume 1 includes 16 tables/figures and a 35-item bibliography. An appendix constituting approximately 60% of Volume 1 contains seven regional industry training market case studies. Volume 2 (also provided on disk) contains technical notes on the following topics: (1) debates associated with the terms "training markets" and "VET institutional arrangements"; (2) empirical data associated in the structure of Australian industry; and (3) data on the size and structure of Australia's metals and engineering and information technology industries and trends characterizing them. Concluding Volume 2 is a 152-item bibliography. (MN)

The future of low-wage jobs is examined through a case study of firm restructuring in the retail industry. The study confirms that the retailing sector has come to be dominated by the Wal-Mart model, which emphasizes an efficient technology-driven inventory management system and a human resource approach that includes the following elements: dead-end sales jobs with starting pay at or near minimum wage; small, nonguaranteed raises; constantly changing work schedules that define full-time employment as 28 hours per week; and few fringe benefits. Many analysts argue that a human resource strategy based on improving workers' skills and input could be viable in retail trade, yet the Wal-Mart model stresses fast service and cheap products rather than sales staff trained to provide quality customer service. Although technology has enabled the Wal-Mart model of efficiency, it has generally resulted in the elimination of sales and stocking jobs rather than in the upskilling of front-line retail jobs. Because retail workers receive an average of only 7 hours of training, they acquire few valuable skills that can be taken to the open market. Retail workers' upward mobility is also quite limited as firms are increasingly hiring outside workers to fill managerial slots. (Contains 66 references.) (MN)

A series of 10 case studies was conducted as part of a 20-month nationwide study of the accommodations provided to handicapped employees by federal contractors. During the course of the project, case study visits were made to the following firms: the Dow Chemical Company; E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Company; Hewlett-Packard; IBM Corporation; Lockheed Missiles and Space Company; Merck, Sharp, and Dohme; the Raytheon Company; the Storage Technology Corporation; Tektronix, Inc.; and the Union Carbide Corporation. The site visits, which lasted from 1 to 2 days, involved interviews with various types of individuals, including top administrators, handicapped employees, managers of handicapped employees, employment recruiters or interviewers, and individuals in outside agencies who send referrals to the firm or who handle accommodation issues. Because these companies are large, they all have at least one individual responsible for equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. In most cases, procedures for handling accommodation appear to be informal and decisions concerning accommodation are made on a flexible basis. Found to be especially successful were accommodation practices involving technological advancements that open job possibilities for some handicapped workers, special procedures for finding and interviewing qualified handicapped applicants, and training company staff in the areas of company policy and disability awareness. (MN)

Women's vulnerability to increased landlessness and other economic factors has created a need in most developing nations for year-round, rural, non-agricultural employment opportunities for women. Census data from 56 Third World countries reveal that women are generally underrepresented in the paid labor force and overrepresented in the "unpaid family worker" labor force. Consequently, agrarian reform and rural development policies, in combination with favorable national economic policies, must work to raise the productivity of the labor in which women currently engage, transform subsistence activities into income-generating activities, and create new employment opportunities for women in areas such as non-agricultural production, sales, services, administration, and the professions. A 6-step strategy for mobilizing rural women for employment involves: (1) identifying the groups of women who most need income-generating employment; (2) defining the range of economic activities in which they are engaged; (3) locating and mobilizing indigenous social networks of women; (4) establishing sources of credit, technical assistance, and training for group enterprises; (5) determining needs for technology to reduce domestic burdens; and (6) identifying and overcoming other cultural or structural obstacles that deny women control over the products of their labor. (SB)

As our society evolves from an industrial society to a computer literate, high technology, information society, educational planners must reexamine the role of postsecondary education in economic development and in intellectual capital formation. In response to this need, a task force on high technology was established to examine the following topics: the development of a perspective or a futures scenario for Ohio; human resource development of providers and consumers of postsecondary educational services; equipment and capital plan expenditures; and implications for program development, approval, and evaluation. After analyzing Ohio's strengths and weaknesses as well as its opportunities for and the threats against its successful transition to a high technology information society, members of the task force concluded that the evolution of a technetronic society in Ohio can develop in a systematic way if the state can manage the issue of intellectual capital formation. What is needed is a conceptual framework to guide Ohio and its institutions in such a way as to focus science and technology on the individual and quality-of-life issues. In response to this need, the task force has developed a detailed plan of action concerning strategic planning, human resource development, capital planning, and program development and review for the 1983-1985 biennium. (A summary of the specific task force recommendations is appended.) (MN)

Sectoral transformation (inter-industry shifts), which is generally analyzed by use of the Fisher-Clark tri-partite division, is examined in this study dealing mainly with the 1960-1970 decade and based on the 1/100 sample of the 1960 and 1970 censuses. (The Fisher-Clark tri-partite division of labor involves a primary sector--agriculture, mining, fishing, forestry; secondary sector--manufacturing, construction, and utilities; and tertiary sector--transportation, commerce, and services.) A new six-sector industry classification scheme is presented to increase the meaningfulness of the tertiary sector, which previously has been a residual category. The six sectors are extractive, transformative, distributive services, producer services, social services, and personal services. Attention is centered on these issues: (1) Identifying the industry structure and tracing its transformation, (2) who is employed in what sectors and industries, and (3) important consequences of sectoral transformation. The first issue is addressed in the chapters on long-term trends (1870-1970) of the sectoral transformation (II), work scheduling and stability of employment (III), age structure and industry change (IV) and the interrelation of industry and occupation (V). The second issue takes up the industry position of females (VI), and the position of Blacks and Mexican Americans in comparison with Anglos in industry and occupational structure (VII). The third issue is covered in the discussion of earnings inequality and the relative merits of the sector model and the human capital model (VIII). The final chapter (IX) addresses a number of sociological implications of the movement to the service economy. Some policy implications of this research are included. (NTIS/TA)

After a brief review of the growth of cable television from 1948 to 1965, the paper examines in more detail trends in the structure of the industry since 1965. Specifically, interest revolves around the apparent trends of concentration and vertical integration within the industry. Corporate histories of the leading firms are then used to demonstrate the reasons for the increases in concentration. In addition, documentation is presented of vertical integration by the leading firms into both program production and development of specialized equipment. Finally, these recent trends are related to the "public good" aspects of programing. Conclusions on network formation and possible policy alternatives in cable television are made. (Author/WH)

This report series defines and measures the "information activity" within the national economy. "Information activity" is defined to include those specific industries and occupations whose primary function is to produce, process, or transmit economically valuable information. Changes in the national labor force are analyzed over a 120-year span. This volume presents reports of the 25 major industries that compose the primary information sector. Each report discusses the reasoning behind considering the industry as part of the primary information sector, a breakdown of the subordinate industries that compose the larger industrial category, a narrative of the informational aspects of the industry, and a report of the final demand and value-added components. The service, manufacturing, and construction sectors of the economy are considered. (Author/DAG)

Beginning an an informal, unstructured information interchange among 100 union, worker, and management representatives from seventeen public and private sector organizations operationally involved in quality of work life activities, a 1977 conference evolved into the first annual meeting of the American Quality of Work Life Association. Participants shared their activities to achieve the simultaneous goals of improved quality of work life for all members of the orgnization and greater company and union effectiveness. Development of a quality of work life project was described as a multi-phase process. Someone in the union, management, or outside organization seeks to initiate interest in his idea in the startup phase. The get-going phase involves creation of the project structure--committees with joint labor and management representation. Implementation and expansion in the "going" phase depend on effective resolution of issues concerning activities and goals. From the start ground rules (contracts and letters of agreement) should be defined. Project participation and involvement should be continually expanded and maintained when changes appear imperceptible. Benefits include improved communications, drop in grievance rates, and attitudinal changes. Future issues include self-sustaining projects, committee authority, and work sharing of the fruits of increased efficiency and productivity. (YLB)

Opinions about industrial relations (IR) in Japan are extremely diversified. The main concern regarding IR appears to be whether Japan can maintain the vitality and flexibility to cope with the changes in the industrial structure and technology in a stagnant world economy. The lack of opposition and dispute between labor and management may be the most important feature for summarizing labor-management relations in modern Japan when making international comparisons. Hypotheses for understanding Japanese IR have been postulated in regard to the following: unintended consequences, homogeneous structure, business community of management and labor, global competition and the needs for flexibility, adaptability in competitive markets, and transformation of the paradigm of IR. The historical development of labor relations in Japan shows a spirit of cooperation. By any measurement of cooperation, labor-management cooperation is strongest in Japan. A special feature of the corporate structure is management's role as referee between the employees and the stockholders. Other features include a continuous path of promotion, firm-specific training, built-in wage-profit system, and transit members of unions. A typical system for mutual communication is the "labor-management consultation system." In the future, unions must minimize adverse effects of competition among rival companies, individualization, and fragmentation of IR. (Appendixes include 25 references and a chronological table of IR in Japan.) (YLB)

A general introduction to computer based national information systems, and the context and basis for future studies are provided in this report. Chapter One, the introduction, summarizes computers and information systems and their relation to society, the structure of information policy issues, and public policy issues. Chapter Two describes the background and purpose of the study, and Chapter Three examines the current states of computer technology and information industries and their projected future developments. These topics are elaborated on in Chapters 13 and 14. Political, economic, and social trends are identified in Chapter Four, and Chapter Five discusses political, economic, and social trends that affect the use of computer-based information systems. An analysis of selected policy issues which may confront Congress over the next decade are discussed in Chapters Six to 12 and include innovation, productivity, employment, privacy, computer systems security, government management of data processing, society's dependence on information systems, constitutional rights, and regulatory and other issues. (RBF)