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We examined the acquisition of incidental information and observational learning of incidental information by adolescents with moderate intellectual disabilities during school-directed systematic instruction. Effectiveness of constant time-delay instruction for vocational-skill acquisition was evaluated within a multiple-probe design across six dyads. Dyadic instructional arrangements allowed the assessment of incidental information acquired through observation. The constant time-delay procedure was effective in teaching the target vocational skill. In addition, participants acquired and retained approximately 50% of the incidental information to which they were exposed during the consequent events of constant time-delay instruction either through direct verbal presentation or through observation of their peers' instruction.

This article is concerned with an exploration of some of the policy and research implications of lifelong learning. It is devoted to the description and critical analysis of the emergence of lifelong learning as the central strategy in the EU's policies towards education and training. The article is organized in three sections. The first section explores the incremental development of the EU's policies towards education and training and the policy-making process up to the mid-1990s. The second section looks more closely at the emergence of lifelong learning on the policy agenda of the EU since 1990. In the third section, attention is focused on a critical analysis of the EU's current understanding of lifelong learning as manifested in the 1995 White Paper on education and training entitled Teaching and Learning—Towards the Learning Society. © 1999, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

The article reviews the practice and research literature in career counseling and development in 1998. The literature is presented and discussed under the following topical headings: contexts and populations, career processes, transitions, career assessment, and career counseling, services and programs.

This article considers social cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) as a vantage point from which to view the school-to-work transition process. Rather than emphasizing the period just before high school graduation, SCCT focuses on 6 developmentally linked themes that unfold throughout the school years. An emphasis on these themes (formation of self-efficacy and outcome beliefs, interest development, interest-goal linkages, translation of goals into actions, performance skills, negotiation of transition supports and barriers) suggests targets for developmental and remedial interventions that promote students' career development across the school years and after work entry.

Baker and confectioner apprentices have been included in a prospective follow-up study in the region of East Thuringia, to evaluate risk factors for the development of hand dermatitis. Starting in August 1996, the apprentices have been interviewed and examined in a standardized way right at the beginning (n = 91) of their vocational training, 6 (n = 79) and 12 months (n = 63) later. To gain objective data, TEWL score was also assessed at 3 standardized sites on the hands. In their case histories, 3.3% (n = 3) of the apprentices reported hand dermatitis. The 1st assessment after 2 to 4 weeks vocational training revealed hand eczema in 17.5% (n = 16) of the individuals. At the follow-up after 6 months of training 29.1% (n = 23), and after 12 month of training 27.0% (n = 17), of the apprentices had hand dermatitis of mild to moderate severity. Within 6 months, the TEWL scare rose significantly (p < 0.001) from 11.9 g m-2 h-1 (± 5.4) to 16.8 g m-2 h-1 (± 9.5). After 12 months, the TEWL score was 14.9 g m-2 h-1 (± 4.6). For the atopic skin diathesis (> 10 points of Diepgen's atopy score), there was a significant tendency to be a predictive factor for the development of occupational hand dermatitis. TEWL score failed to correlate with the development of skin damage in our study. The same was true for respiratory atopy and metal sensitization.

The theoretical foundations of competency-based education are described. Among these are definitions of learning in terms of the situations one can function in rather than the accumulation of knowledge or skills, and of professional growth as a succession of stages from novice to expert. Competence is the midpoint on this continuum where individuals are capable of practicing independently and of assuming responsibility for their continued professional growth. Dental education has functioned well at the early stages of this process, but the assumption that "more of the same" will complete the process is questioned. Also considered are the implications of competency in the political context of dentistry, in curriculum design, and for evaluation. © Munksgaard, 1998.

This article suggests that the experiences of implementing General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) have offered a number of insights into the limitations of the criterion-referenced assessment practices of GNVQs, modelled as they are upon the unit, elements and performance criteria structure of NVQs. As GNVQs evolve and, it would appear, move away from this NVQ ‘template’ on which they were designed, an opportunity has arisen for clarifying the purposes and scope of assessment practices in vocational courses such as GNVQ. This article attempts to (re)establish some broad principles of assessment in relation to GNVQs and to locate these principles in the day-to-day practices of lecturers. The article has arisen from ongoing research into the way lecturers in Further Education are coping with the changes brought about by GNVQs in Health and Social Care and, as such, owes much to the insights offered by practitioners and to their explanations of their own assessment practices. © 1998 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Objective: Occupational skin changes in hairdressers are very common. Morbidity, however, has not yet been quantified precisely. Methods: A cohort of 2352 hairdressing apprentices (of the 2570 invited to participate, i.e., 91.5% response) was prospectively followed for the duration of their vocational training (3 years) by three examinations. Three waves (years) were recruited in 1992, 1993, and 1994 from 15 vocational training schools in northwestern Germany. Results: The point prevalence of (mostly slight) irritant skill changes of the hands increased from 35.4% in the initial examination to 47.5% in the intermediate examination and to 55.1% in the final examination. Given a more conservative definition of a case of 'hand dermatitis,' these estimates were 12.9%, 23.5%, and 23.9%, respectively. Altogether, 34.3 and 15.2 cases of 'skin changes (any degree)' and 'hand dermatitis,' respectively, in 100 person-years were observed during the study period. The incidence rate, i.e., the number of newly diseased study participants in relation to the person-time at risk contributed, decreased in the course of the study. The proportion of dropouts until final follow-up was 51.8%. Conclusion: The present results appear to lie in a range with those found in other, much smaller cohort studies. However, comparison of the results is hampered either by the lack of a clear definition or by a different definition of 'person-time at risk' or 'a case of hand dermatitis.' As compared with an external control group of office apprentices, the incidence was several times higher in hairdressing apprentices, which points to the high risk for skin damage in this occupation.

This article is a review of seminal and recent research on the effects of working during adolescence on vocational development. We examine the broad body of research on youth work, on how school or job-related training may affect the outcomes of interest, and whether job quality may affect the value of working during adolescence. We draw conclusions regarding the weight of evidence with particular focus on the implications for public and educational policy. © 1998 Academic Press.

Objective: To describe current patterns of employment, career intentions and factors that influence career choice in young graduates. Design: A cross-sectional postal survey. Subjects: Graduates from the years 1991 and 1994 were selected to provide cohorts before and after the introduction of mandatory vocational training. A total of 232 graduates were sent questionnaires and 183 replied (77%): 90 men (49%) and 93 women (51%). Setting: The cohorts all came from Scottish dental schools. When surveyed in 1996/1997, 66% were working in Scotland and 28% were in England. The rest were elsewhere in the UK or abroad. Measures: A questionnaire which had been piloted, applied to medical graduates and then adapted for dentists, was used. Results: The most common post held was that of Associate in General Dental Practice (61% of the sample) and the majority (85%) were working full-time. Only small numbers indicated that they wished to undertake a career in academia (6) or the hospital dental service (17). In choosing a career, males were more influenced by financial factors (P = 0.009) and women by the availability of part-time employment (P = 0.000). Conclusion: Despite the recent adverse publicity about general dental practice, most young dentists see their future in this sector of the profession. More worrying is the comparatively small number who wish to work within the hospital service or in academia. Results also indicate the need to develop schemes to retain women in the workforce.