The employment policy of the United States over the course of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first evolved to emphasize greater inclusion of all people seeking employment. The American workforce has grown dramatically and has diversified to include more women and minorities. These changes began with the massive entry of women and African Americans into the workforce during World War II.…
James Mathison owns and operates his own landscaping business. Denise Lyons is a computer programmer who works at home four days a week and in the office one. Jeff Riley gives piano and voice lessons in the basement of his home. Chrystal Holumbo is a freelance writer and editor. After work and on weekends, Pamela Chang cleans several doctor and dentist offices. What do all these people have in com…
In the first years of the twenty-first century, the health of employees was a major concern for many companies due to the escalating costs of occupational (work-related) and non-occupational health care. In 2004 national health expenditures rose 7.9 percent over the previous year, more than three times the rate of inflation. In 2004 total spending on health expenditures was $1.9 trillion, or $6,28…
Looking for your first job—whether for a part-time job while you're in high school or college, or for a full-time job after graduation—can seem like an over-whelming task. Finding a job is hard to begin with—but if you haven't had any work experience, have never written a resume or been through an interview, and don't even know what kind of job you want or…
All of the following members of the American workforce have a common need. Can you tell what it is? If you answered "retraining" to the above question, you would be absolutely right. All these workers could benefit from updating their job skills or learning new ones. Retraining occurs for a variety of reasons: the need to keep pace with new technology, company reorganization or reloc…
Everyone has his or her own reasons for working, and pay usually is among the most important. Not surprisingly, though, many workers list other factors that are almost equally strong motivations. These can range from opportunities to grow or learn new skills to a sense of community and purpose to more tangible benefits, such as health insurance, flexible work schedules, and provisions for retireme…
The American workplace is rapidly changing. In the past, workers went to their jobs to perform a task. Now, the workplace is changing into a place where workers both work and learn, as companies transform themselves into learning organizations. Companies are joining high schools, trade and technical schools, colleges, and universities in assuming responsibility for the education of the American wo…
Vocational training is training for a specific career or trade, excluding the professions. Vocational training focuses on practical applications of skills learned, and is generally unconcerned with theory or traditional academic skills. A large part of the education in vocational schools is hands-on training. Vocational training thus provides a link between education and the working world. It is u…
In the modern workplace, there is no denying the indispensability of the computer. According to a report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2005, seventy-seven million workers, or 55.5 percent of the entire American workforce, used a computer on the job in 2003. That is more than double the number of workplace computer users in 1984, and the numbers will almost certainly contin…
The following pages provide some basic information about the Canadian job market. Included are background information on the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission, a list of Canadian departments of education, and selected listings of Canadian trade and professional associations. To find out more about any of the jobs included in a specific volume of the Career Information Center, contact th…
"Apprenticeships: Career Training, Credentials—and a Paycheck in Your Pocket," Olivia Crosby. Occupational Outlook Quarterly, vol. 46, no. 2, Summer 2002. The Community College Role in Welfare to Work, C. David Lisman, ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001. Do School-to-Work Programs Help the "Forgotten Half"? David Neumark and Donna Rothstein. Cambridge, MA: Nati…
250 Best Jobs through Apprenticeships, Michael Farr and Laurence Shatkin. Indianapolis: JIST Publishing, 2005. 300 Best Jobs without a Four-Year Degree, Michael Farr. Indianapolis: JIST Publishing, 2006. Best Jobs for the 21st Century, 4th ed, Michael Farr. Indianapolis: JIST Publishing, 2006. The Career Guide: Dun's Employment Opportunities Directory. Parsippany, NJ: Dun and Bradstreet Inf…
Career and Education Resource Centerhttp://www.careers.org Find Trade Schoolshttp://www.trade-school.org/ JIST Publishinghttp://www.jist.com Jobwebhttp://www.jobweb.org/ National Centers for Career and Technical Educationhttp://www.nccte.org Office of Vocational and Adult Educationhttp://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/index.html?src=mr Online Career Centerhttp://www.monster.com Online Job Sear…
