People who participate in adult education do so for a variety of reasons. The British Columbia Telephone Company (B.C. Tel) reimburses employees who take courses, and does so because it is assumed that employees participate in education for job-related reasons. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which employees utilizing B.C. Tel's "Financial Assistance Plan" take courses for "job" or "non job" reasons and to determine the extent to which different "motivational types" (derived from contrasting job with non job motivational orientation scores) possessed different socio-demographic characteristics. Boshier's Education participation Scale (EPS), along with Helmreich and Spence's Work and Family Orientation Questionnaire (WOFO), were assembled in a questionnaire that also measured the socio-demographic characteristics of employees utilizing the B.C. Tel Financial Assistance Plan in 1985. EPS items were subjected to a judging process that identified those deemed to be "job" and those deemed to be "non job" oriented. Of the 250 questionnaires distributed through B.C. Tel's internal mail system, 159 useable ones were returned. A total EPS "job" score was derived by calculating the mean over the relevant items, a total "non job" score was derived using the same method for items in this category. Respondents with the highest "job" scores (i.e. most likely enrolled for job-related reasons) were younger employees, those with shorter periods of employment with B.C. Tel, and union employees. Those with the highest "non job" scores were older employees, respondents with children, and management employees in staff positions. Although the first phase of the analysis revealed significant relationships between socio-demographic and EPS variables, a multivariate analysis which simultaneously considered both "job" and "non job" scores was needed because many participants were enrolled for both reasons. Job motivation is not the opposite of, or does not exclude, non job motivation. Thus, a discriminant analysis was performed where the dependent variables were four motivational types. TYPE I respondents were high job/high non job motivated, TYPE II were high job/low non job motivated, TYPE III were low job/low non job motivated, and TYPE IV were low job/high non job motivated. It was concluded that predicting participant type was possible using only two socio-demographic variables, age and employment function. TYPE I participants were younger than TYPE III and IV, and were more likely to be union employees. TYPE II participants were similar in age to TYPE I, but were more likely to be in management. TYPE III participants were mostly management and were older than TYPE I and II. TYPE IV were similar in age to TYPE III, but were evenly split between union and management. Further research is needed concerning the application of the EPS in a business setting. The judging process used to determine "job" and "non job" scores is worthy of further examination in a larger context. As well, it would be useful to examine if other categories exist. Finally, construct validation of the typology of participants developed in this study through in-depth interviews conducted with representative respondents of a similar sample could ratify or refine the classifications used in this thesis. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this research was to assess the use of the General Educational Development Tests (GED) as an alternative high school credential in Oregon. A study was conducted of 469 Oregon GED recipients' and 646 private sector employers' perceptions of the GED. Both quantitative and qualitative measurements were used to assess the GED as a credential for education and training, for entering and being successful in the workforce, and as a measure of personal satisfaction. All measures of satisfaction with the GED Tests indicated that Oregon GED recipients perceived no difference between the GED and a high school diploma for further education, training, or employment. Half of the GED recipients responded that they took the Tests for personal reasons. Over 70%, considered the GED equal to a high school diploma for their needs. Over 80% responded that the Tests were worthwhile for employment purposes. Almost two-thirds of the respondents used the GED for further educational activities. Over 94% indicated they would take the Tests again if they had it to do over. Most of the GED recipients surveyed, 85%, indicated the GED was a positive endeavor. Oregon private sector employers perceived differences between GED recipients and high school graduates. Yet, 88%, accepted the GED as an alternative to a high school diploma. However, only 60% of employers felt a GED was equal to a diploma for preparing people to enter the workforce. Three-fourths of the employers felt high school graduates made better employees than non-high school graduates. Less than one-third of employers felt high school graduates made better employees than GED recipients. However, 59%, of employers felt high school graduates did not have the basic skills to enter the workforce. A great majority, 94% of employers, felt both high school and GED programs should include basic instruction for entering the workforce. Although GED and high school diplomas were accepted as credentials for entering the workforce it was evident that employers would like an alternative educational curriculum to aid in the transition from school to work. / Graduation date: 1994

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1997. / Title from title page screen, viewed June 7, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Ronald S. Halinski, Kenneth H. Strand (co-chairs), Patricia H. Klass, Larry McNeal. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-117) and abstract. Also available in print.

Under the auspices of a United Stated Department of Education National Workplace Literacy Program grant, the Columbia-Willamette Skill Builders, a community college consortium, developed a prototype workplace educator training program in 1994. The Skill Builders workplace educator training program was 9 months long and offered 90 hours of instruction, including a 20 to 40 hour workplace field experience. Twenty-six people completed the prototype program. This investigative study posed two research questions: 1. What can we learn by identifying and evaluating the critical elements in a prototype workplace educator training program? 2. What can be gleaned through this investigation that can be utilized to design a workplace educator training program? Workplace educator is a new term emerging from the field of workplace literacy. A workplace educator facilitates basic learning involving language and computation, as well as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and decision-making. An examination of the pertinent literature identified five fields that impact on workplace education: workplace basics; training and development; workplace literacy and the contextual teaching approaches; current management theory with an emphasis on the high performance work organization; and workplace learning. The critical elements involved in the prototype program were identified through extensive inquiry using questionnaires, survey evaluation instruments, personal interviews, reports, journal review of the participants, and a focus group of Portland, Oregon, area employer representatives managing workplace education. The identified critical elements include an understanding of: (a) education in the workplace; (b) the characteristics of workplace educators; (c) workplace culture and organizational practices; (d) business/ education relationships; (e) the educational environment; (f) needs assessment/evaluation and assessment procedures; (g) workplace program design; (h) how to facilitate learning; (i) the development of communication skills for the workplace educator; (j) culture, class, and gender diversity in the workplace; and (k) appropriate uses of instructional technology. In addition, the data were examined through an evaluation research framework using the Stufflebeam (1983) CIPP (context, input, process, and products) model. The analysis showed that the program was highly satisfactory to the participants. The most important finding in this study is the need for workplace educators to fully understand the workplace. / Graduation date: 1995

Hospital patients are at high risk for foodborne illness; it is essential that hospital foodservice managers know food safety principles. The purpose of this research was to assess the basic food safety knowledge of hospital foodservice managers and to determine their interest in continuing education related to food safety. A survey was mailed to a random sample of 500 acute care hospital foodservice managers in the United States. Usable surveys were returned by 264 (53%) of the managers. Managers correctly answered from 5 to 16 of the 16 basic food safety knowledge question (mean 14.0±1.7). Managers correctly answered questions relating to cross-contamination and risks for foodborne illness (98%), proper procedures for thawing meat, cooling foods, and the sequence for cleaning utensils and equipment (97%). Managers knew current recommendations for storing eggs, use of a steamtable, and could identify a potentially hazardous food (94%). Managers knew the proper sequence and time for hand washing (92%). Questions missed most frequently were end point cooking temperatures for ground beef (52% correct) and chicken (78% correct). However, when managers who chose higher temperatures than required are added, 93 and 94% of the managers would produce a safe product. Managers who chose a temperature lower than required need to review basic cooking procedures. Knowledge scores were not significantly different when the number of hospital meals served, type of hospital ownership or management, managers years in foodservice, years as a manager, education level, general certification, food safety certification, hours spent or planned learning food safety, or the managers own rating of food safety knowledge were compared to knowledge scores. Inservice training was the most used and most preferred method for learning about food safety. Time support from the hospital (66%) was most often identified as contributing to ease in learning about food safety, followed by financial support (57%). Lack of time (76%) and lack of interesting and convenient programs (39%) were most often identified as obstacles to learning. Managers (94%) were interested in learning more about food safety, especially about applying Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point principles to everyday foodservice procedures. / Graduation date: 2002

Both individual characteristics and organizational internal structure are significantly related to employees' participation in both kind of education and training, namely the firm-provided as well as self-chosen and paid education and training outside the firm. Those employees who are male and younger, those who are at higher end of job hierarchy, those who experienced more internal mobility, are more likely to participate in both kinds of education and training. They take the advantage of both kinds of education and training programs. / Cases of this study include 31736 employees from 410 enterprises, randomly sampled at China's county level from different regions in terms of economical development. Multilevel logistic regression was employed to model the impact of region, firm and individual characteristic on employees' participation in adult education and training. Dependent variables are classified in three groups in this study: (a) those employees who participated in the training provided by firm only, (b) those employees who participated in self-chosen and self-paid adult education and training outside firm only, and (c) those employees who participated in both two kinds of adult education and training. / In regard to employees' participation in firm provided training only, the labor market structural factors and the firms' internal organizational structure had the most explaining power, between these two firms' internal market characteristics had greater impact. A job position that an employee obtained is his/her niche in the labor market. The characteristics of an internal market is decisive for allocating training opportunities. Those employees at a position in advantage are likely to participate in firm supported training. That is, the higher an employee is at occupational hierarchy, the longer a person has worked in current firm, the greater the extent to which an employee has experienced changes in the workplace, the more likely that employee would take part in firm provided training. / In the context of global market and knowledge economy development, adult education and training are regarded as an important factor in keeping economic growth in China. They also become a means for individuals to acquire knowledge, skills and to enhance human capital, thus improving their ability in the job market. / In the fast-growing market-oriented economy in China, many employees have been involved in job-related education and training of various kinds. In the transition from the planned to a market economy, firms are more autonomous in the organization of production, and individuals are free to pursue their occupational aspirations. Firms and individual started to take responsibilities to invest in education and training in order to acquire competence. It is interesting to study who participate in adult education and training as an opportunity to update job skills. It is important to understand if that would have implications in improving the workforce quality. / The empirical analyses supported the hypothesis that employees' participation in adult education and training is determined by both individual characteristics and multi-level labor market structures. Both employees and their firms are embedded in certain social structure that could be facilitating or constraining in terms of making educational opportunities available to firms and individual employees. The findings clearly show that patterns of the three groups of independent variables having impact on the three types of participation choices vary. / These findings show that employees' participation in education and training is related to individual characteristics acquired before entering the labor market, and it is also related to the characteristics of labor market. Making education and training available for employees has become a practice to improve competence, which is vital to maintain sustainability. Therefore, it should give consideration to improving equality of participation for different groups of employees and reducing disparity between regions. A mechanism is necessary to coordinate education and training among sectors, such including education, economic sector and the government administration for the workforce. That would encourage the exchange of information between sectors and improve cooperation in developing programs for the workforce. In such a way, adult education and training can play an important role and meet skill training needs for different social groups. / This thesis takes employees' participation in education and training for a study. It is focused on the following research questions: Who had an opportunity to participate in adult education and training during the economic reform in mainland China? What are the factors affecting employees' participation? Based on human capital theory, labor market segmentation theory and organization theory, it is hypothesized that employees' individual characteristics, the firms' internal structural characteristics, and the firms' characteristics in relations to labor market all these multi-level factors have impact on employees' participation in adult education and training. Independent variables are accordingly deduced into three groups. Individual characteristics are those achieved status possessed by employees before entering into the labor market, include age, gender, marital status, initial education level. Characteristics of the firms' internal labor market is represented by the employees' job related characteristics in terms of job position, work experience in years, mobility, and the extent an employee experienced the firms' reform. An employee acquired these work-related attributes after having entered the firm, or being selected by a firm if one's individual characteristics were considered matching in the workplace. Finally, firms' characteristics, reflecting firms' attributes as compared to other firms in the market system, would affect resource allocation and labor requirements. These variables include firm size, the average education year of employee with in firm, the overall mobility of a firm's internal labor market, types of ownership, and the economic industrial sector that the firm belongs to. / Whether an employee has participated in self-paid adult education is an interaction of individual characteristics and labor market structure. Those employees who are male, younger, and who had senior secondary education are likely to participate in self-paid adult education. In regard to one's decision of participating in self-paid adult education or not, it mostly related to one's own individual characteristics. As an employee is embedded in the firm and then the firm embedded in the large labor market, his or her action is affected by the labor market structure, too, but those are the secondary factors. / 王蕊. / 呈交日期: 2006年2月. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2006. / 參考文獻(p. 213-232 ). / Cheng jiao ri qi: 2006 nian 2 yue. / Advisers: Jin Xiao; Nai-Kwai Lo. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-11, Section: A, page: 4067. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / School code: 1307. / Lun wen (zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2006. / Can kao wen xian (p. 213-232 ). / Wang Rui.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: 'Housing' has been addressed as a basic human right. In South Africa this right has become a challenge, which cannot be met by the government alone. It also requires a vast contribution from the broader non-State (private) sector. This includes large companies who need to provide housing assistance to their employees. The aim of this research was to develop an educational computer programme which can be used by companies in their employee housing assistance programmes. The objectives of the research included establishing the extent to which companies provide employee housing assistance; the viability of an educational computer programme; the requirements of companies; criteria and content of a computer programme; and the development and testing of a pilot demonstration module of an educational computer programme for employee housing assistance. Exploratory research was carried out on a sample of 112 companies by means of both postal and telephonic questionnaires. The results of these surveys indicated that 41 of these companies have already established employee housing assistance, providing general information on housing and housing related issues. Most of these companies, however, are only offering financial assistance to their employees without the necessary education and training which should accompany it. A programme which provides these aspects benefits both the company and the employees and should be implemented by many more institutions throughout the country. The main findings of this research, indicated the viability of an educational computer programme and the surveyed companies were positive about using it as part of their employee housing assistance. Throughout the world, computers have proved to offer high-quality interaction and unique learning opportunities to users of varying levels of understanding. They have also demonstrated that they are convenient to use and assist in promoting effective management of time and finances. On the basis of the responses to the survey, essential elements of an educational computer programme for the use of companies in employee housing assistance were identified. A pilot demonstration module was developed using a holistic and didactically sound approach. The development of this educational computer programme, will allow lower income employees to receive beneficial housing assistance at their own pace and level of comprehension and education through an enjoyable and contemporary medium. The results of the initial (but limited) testing of the pilot demonstration module, suggested that there is justification for the further development of the programme and for research to be carried out to examine its effect in the private sector. This research sheds light on the present trends in the provision of employee housing assistance in the private sector and the positive contribution which companies can provide to the housing crisis in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'Behuising' word as 'n basiese reg van die mens beskou. In Suid-Afrika het hierdie reg 'n uitdaging geword wat nie deur die regering alleen aanvaar kan word nie. Dit verg ook 'n groot bydrae van die breër gemeenskap, veral die privaatsektor, en dit sluit groot maatskappye wat behuisingshulp aan hulle werknemers behoort te verskaf, in. Die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsingsprojek was om 'n opvoedkundige rekenaarprogram te ontwikkel wat deur maatskappye as deel van 'n behuisingsondersteuningsprogram aan hulle werknemers gebied kan word. Die doelwitte van die navorsing was onder meer om die mate waartoe maatskappye reeds behuisingsondersteuningsprogramme vir hulle werknemers aanbied, te bepaal. Verder is die lewensvatbaarheid van 'n opvoedkundige rekenaarprogram bepaal, asook die maatskappye se behoefte aan so 'n program. Daar is ook vasgestel wat maatskappye se menings oor die kriteria vir en inhoud van 'n opvoedkundige rekenaarprogram, wat as deel van hulle behuisingsondersteuningsprogram aan werknemers gebied kan word, is. Verkennende navorsing is onderneem met 'n steekproef van 112 maatskappye deur middel van telefoniese- en posvraelyste. Die resultate van hierdie vraelyste het aangedui dat 41 van die maatskappye reeds 'n behuisingsondersteuningsprogram aanbied wat algemene inligting oor behuising en behuisingsverwante aangeleenthede aan die werknemers verskaf. Die meeste van dié maatskappye, wat behuisingsondersteuningsprogramme aanbied, bied egter alleenlik finansiële hulp aan hulle werknemers, sonder die nodige meegaande opvoeding en opleiding. "n Program wat beide finansiële en opvoedkundige hulp aanbied kan maatskappye en werknemers tot voordeel strek en behoort landswyd deur baie meer inrigtings geïmplementeer te word. Die hoofbevindinge van die navorsing het getoon dat die opvoedkundige rekenaarprogram lewensvatbaar is, en die deelnemende maatskappye het bereidwilligheid getoon om so "n program as deel van hulle werknemers se behuisingsondersteuningsprogram in te sluit. Die ontwikkeling van die rekenaarprogram sal dit moontlik maak vir werknemers om op verskillende vlakke van begrip en opvoedingspeil, voordelige behuisingsondersteuning teen hulle eie tempo en deur middel van "n genotvolle en kontemporêre medium te kan ontvang. Dit is wêreldwyd bewys dat rekenaars hoë kwaliteit interaksie en unieke leergeleenthede op alle begripssvlakke kan bied. Daar is ook bewys gelewer dat rekenaars nie net gerieflik is nie, maar ook effektief met die bestuur van tyd en finansies is. Op grond van die vraelys resultate, is noodsaaklike elemente van 'n rekenaargebaseerde behuisingsondersteuningsprogram vir werknemers geïdentifiseer, en "n proefmodule ontwikkel wat gebruik maak van "n holistiese en didakties gesonde benadering. Die uitslae van die eerste (maar beperkte) toetsing van die proefmodule dui daarop dat daar regverdiging is vir die verdere ontwikkeling van die program asook vir navorsing om te bepaal wat die effek van so "n program op die privaatsektor sou wees. Hierdie navorsing het lig gewerp op huidige neigings in die verskaffing van behuisingsondersteuning aan werknemers in die privaatsektor, asook op die positiewe bydrae wat deur maatskappye gelewer kan word tot die oplossing van die behuisingkrisis in Suid-Afrika.

My master thesis is going to focus on the analysis and subsequent proposal of changes for an education system, and the development of employees in that organisation. The first part of the thesis will focus on the study of domestic and foreign literature. When carrying out a literature search, basic concepts of education and development of the employees were defined. The second part of my thesis will focus on the analysis and proposal of changes of an education system in the selected company. After I have analyse the information I will list a proposal of changes to its education and development department within the company.

The topic of the diploma thesis is focused on the areas of human resources management, education and development of employees in a Fire Rescue Brigade of South Bohemia. The principal aim of this thesis was the evaluation analysis of the system of employee education and development in the selected company, identification of educational needs, proposals for changes and recommendations for improving the management of this area.

This thesis reports on a literature survey followed by an internet-based enquiry into best practices in academic support, with particular reference to the use of information and communication technology. It was found that higher education is a rapidly changing environment in which there is a constant demand for support, some of which may be provided by information technology. Learning organisations, however, need to be grown within the reality of existing attitudes and learning cultures. The reasons cited for failure of current methodologies are: understaffing/time constraints, money/budgetary limitations, faculty too busy or disinterested, perceived credibility/non-academic status of development practitioners and the perceived level of importance of teaching. No single solution will satisfy everybody; nor do simplistic answers or options exist. Four issues seem to stand out. They include the willingness of staff to be involved in developmental interventions (receptivity), the availability, clarity and accessibility of information (lucidity), the need for networking (dependency) and the use of technology. It would seem that these aspects are interrelated in that the relative levels of receptivity, lucidity and dependency may determine the degree of technological intricacy that staff are likely to tolerate as a medium through which to channel organisational learning interventions. / Thesis (PhD (Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Information Science / unrestricted