In a report based on local, state and national data, Conklin (1994) stated that by the year 2005, employment projections indicate that: (1) employment will grow faster than the labor force; (2) industry employment will continue to shift from the goods-producing to the service-producing sector; and (3) the bulk of employment growth will be in health services, retail trade, and business services.
Conklin (1994) further reports that a large part of meeting employment needs will be vocational training in technology, especially computers. The purpose of the review of literature presented here is to examine business services and technology as they relate to issues concerning vocational education curriculum.
Regarding business services and technology/computers, the most important element of vocational training is to turn out students that are sufficiently trained to handle the technological requirements of these varying jobs. One way in which vocational educators attempt to fulfill this responsibility is to select a geographic area of the country and determine the technological requirements of the businesses in the area.
For example, Ellis (1994) investigated the computer training needs in Fortune 500 companies in the South-Central part of the United States by examining the status and projected need for computer training within these organizations.
The characteristics of computer training programs, performance of training needs assessments, and current and future training needs were explored in the research. The relationship of company classification and size to these factors was also examined. The data provided information relevant to current training practices and procedures as well as the essential computer skills required of employees.
The Fortune 500 companies surveyed included 123 organizations within the six-state area of Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The questionnair...