PREPARING FOR THE WORKPLACE -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Executive Summary -- FINDINGS -- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- Principles to Guide Federal Action -- Fostering High-Quality Training -- Improving Federal Programs -- Encouraging Systemic Reform -- 1 Introduction -- THE COMMITTEE'S CHARGE: POSTSECONDARY TRAINING -- Who Gets Postsecondary Training? -- Postsecondary Training for What Jobs? -- Postsecondary Training and the Labor Market -- Postsecondary Training and the American Economy -- STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT -- NOTES -- 2 Overview of Postsecondary Training Institutions and Programs -- INSTITUTIONS OF POSTSECONDARY TRAINING -- Community and Technical Colleges -- Proprietary Vocational Schools -- Area Vocational Schools and Adult Education Schools -- Community-Based Organizations -- Apprenticeship -- Employer-Sponsored Training -- Military Training -- Summary -- FEDERAL POSTSECONDARY TRAINING PROGRAMS -- Student Financial Assistance -- The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 -- Adult Education Programs -- Vocational Rehabilitation -- The Job Training Partnership Act -- The Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program -- Dislocated Worker Programs -- Summary -- NOTES -- 3 Diagnosing the Health of Postsecondary Training -- ACCESS AND INFORMATION -- Access to Qualifying Training -- Access to Skills Improvement Training -- Access to Retraining -- Access to Second-Chance Training -- Information About Training Options -- RESULTS -- A Framework for Analysis: Value Added Versus Outcomes -- The Evidence -- Community Colleges and Proprietary Schools -- Skills Improvement Training -- Retraining -- Second-Chance Training -- INCENTIVES, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND QUALITY -- CONNECTIONS WITH EMPLOYERS -- OVERLAP, DUPLICATION, COORDINATION, AND ARTICULATION -- SUMMARY -- NOTES.

4 U.S. Training in International Perspective -- CONNECTIONS TO EMPLOYERS -- Qualifying Training -- Germany -- Japan -- Australia -- Britain -- Skills Improvement Training -- NATIONAL STANDARDS AND SKILLS CERTIFICATION -- PATHWAYS FROM SCHOOL TO WORK -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- 5 The Federal Role in Postsecondary Training -- SCOPE OF FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY -- POINTS OF LEVERAGE -- PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE FEDERAL ACTION -- NOTES -- 6 Fostering High-Quality Training -- THE DEBATE OVER STANDARDS -- Definitions -- The Mix of Design and Outcome Standards -- Identifying Appropriate Measures -- Setting Design and Outcome Criteria -- Creating an Institutional Structure -- CONCLUSIONS -- Skills Standards -- Better Information Systems -- Capacity Building -- NOTES -- 7 Improving Federal Programs -- POLICY INSTRUMENTS FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES -- Vouchers -- Contracts -- Grants -- Direct Provision -- Tax Expenditures -- CHOOSING AMONG POLICY INSTRUMENTS -- QUALIFYING TRAINING -- Student Financial Aid -- Student Eligibility -- Institutional Eligibility -- Low-Return Programs -- Work-Based Training and School-to-Work Transitions -- SKILLS IMPROVEMENT TRAINING AND WORKER RETRAINING -- SECOND-CHANCE TRAINING -- NOTES -- 8 Becoming an Agent of Change -- FUNCTIONS CONTRIBUTING TO SYSTEM-BUILDING -- Making Grants -- Rationalizing Federal Requirements -- Granting Waivers -- Developing National Skills Standards -- Supplying Research and Development -- Reporting -- MEANS OF BECOMING AN AGENT OF CHANGE -- NOTES -- References -- APPENDIX Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff -- Index.