Interview Guide--Education Providers

1. How does [school] plan which vocational courses or programs to offer?

   PROBE: Does it have a formal planning mechanism, an advisory board which provides information about occupational areas?

   YES      NO

2. (If YES) What institutions are represented on this board?

3. Does this board make recommendations for changes in curriculum and degree or certificate programs?

   YES       NO (If NO, go to Question 6)

4. (If YES) What recommendations have been made?

5. Have these recommendations been implemented in your school?

   YES       NO

6. Has [school] worked with the private sector in the development of certificate or degree programs?

   YES       NO (If NO, go to Question 9)

7. (If YES) What types of firms or groups are you working with?

8. What agreements have been reached in this group regarding curriculum and degree or certificate programs?

9. Have there been changes in students' enrollment in degree or certificate programs in the last five years?

   YES       NO (If NO, go to Question 12)

10. (If YES) In which programs? Could you describe those changes?

11. To what do you attribute these changes?

12. Have any vocational programs been eliminated within the last five years?

    YES       NO

13. (If YES) Why?

14. What trends have you noticed among students applying to vocational education programs? What percentage are entering for initial job training, upgrading, or retraining to learn a new occupation?

    PROBE: When did this trend begin? How do you account for these changes?

15. How does [school] define a completer and noncompleter in vocational education programs?

16. Does [school] offer customized training courses to meet the needs of particular firms?

    YES       NO

17. (If YES) For which occupations and for which types of firms?

18. What is the length of customized training programs?

19. What percentage of [school]'s vocational education is customized training?

20. How is customized training funded? Does this differ for firms and/or occupations?

21. Does [school] receive any state-funded job training or economic development programs?

    YES       NO

22. (If YES) For what occupations do these funded programs train students?

23. Do local employers or employer organizations influence the content of courses for job retraining?

    YES       NO

24. (If YES) Could you describe their influence?

25. Do you have a sense of what jobs students are hired for when they graduate from [school]? The types of jobs they get? Whether they remain in the local area or relocate elsewhere? What types of industries or firms are most likely to employ them?

26. What are the emerging issues in the [area] labor market which face vocational education providers?

    PROBE: What will be the additional problems?

    The second half of the interview will focus on specific occupational programs offered at [school]. The six occupations we are interested in are electronics technician, machining, drafting, accounting clerk, business management, and computer programming.

    Which of these six does [school] offer? The questions I will ask will refer to each of these occupations.

27. How long has [school] offered a degree or certificate in [occupation]?

28. Why did [school] decide to offer a degree or certificate in [occupation]? Specify whether the school offers a degree, a certificate, or both in [occupation].

29. What changes in curriculum for [occupation] have been introduced recently?

30. What prompted these changes?

31. Does the school place large numbers of students in the [occupation] program with particular local employers?

    YES       NO

32. (IF YES) Why are these firms considered good placements?

33. Do you have the name of a contact person within the firm(s)? How long have you been referring students to these firms and contacts?

34. What has been the trend in enrollments for [occupation]?

35. What do you think has contributed to this trend?

36. What are the differences between credit and noncredit courses for [occupation]? For which types of jobs are students from the two groups prepared?

37. How would you compare the skills students acquire in the [occupation] program here and the jobs they are hired for after leaving [school] with students in similar programs in other local programs, including proprietary schools?

1. What has been the trend in enrollments (completions, dropouts) for [occupation]?

2. What do you think has contributed to this trend?

3. Does the school place large numbers of students in the [occupation] program with particular local employers?

   YES       NO

4. (IF YES) Which types of firms do you tend to place students with? How would you characterize or assess these types of placements in terms of students' future employment histories?

5. Do you have the name of a contact person within the firm(s)? How long have you been referring students to these contact people and firms?

6. What percentage of students are not placed?

7. What are the reasons for the lack of placements for these students?

8. What trends have you noticed among students applying to vocational education programs? What percentage are entering for initial job training, upgrading, or retraining to learn a new occupation?

   PROBE: When did this trend begin? How do you account for these changes?

9. How does [school] plan which vocational courses or programs to offer?

   PROBE: Does it have a formal planning mechanism, an advisory board which provides information about occupational areas?

   YES       NO

10. (If YES) What institutions are represented on this board?

11. Does this board make recommendations for changes in curriculum and degree or certificate programs?

    YES       NO

12. (If YES) What recommendations have been made in the case of [occupation]?

13. Have these recommendations been implemented in your school?

    YES       NO

14. (If YES) How successful has it been?

    PROBE: Has it improved/upgraded skill training or improved coordination of curriculum?

15. Has [school] worked with the private sector in the development of certificate or degree programs in [occupation]?

    YES       NO

16. (If YES) What group(s) are you working with?

17. Do local employers or employer organizations influence the content of courses for job retraining?

    YES       NO

18. (If YES) Could you describe their influence?

19. What agreements have been reached in this group regarding curriculum and degree or certificate programs?

20. Have there been changes in students' enrollment in degree or certificate programs in [occupation] in the last five years?

    YES       NO

21. (If YES) In which programs? Could you describe those changes?

22. To what do you attribute these changes?

23. Are there labor shortages or surpluses for [occupation] in this area?

24. Has the school changed its enrollment for [occupation] in response to labor market changes?

25. (If YES) What changes have been instituted?

    (If NO) Why not?

26. Have any vocational programs been eliminated within the last five years?

    YES       NO

27. (If YES) Why?

28. Is there any chance the program in [occupation] might be eliminated?

29. What percentage of [school]'s vocational education is customized?

30. What are the skills students acquire in [class] which prepare them for work as [occupation]?

31. Have you changed the course content for [occupation] in response to requests from employers?

32. What are the differences between credit and noncredit courses for [occupation]?

33. How does the remainder of the curriculum prepare students for [occupation]?

34. Are there additional skills (or information) which students need for [occupation]?

35. How would you redesign the curriculum for students to learn these skills?

36. How would you compare the skills students acquire in the [occupation] program here and the jobs they are hired for after leaving [school] with students in similar programs in proprietary schools?

37. Do you have a sense of what jobs students are hired for when they graduate from school? The types of jobs they get? Whether they remain in the local area or relocate elsewhere? Whether the jobs are related to their training? What types of industries or firms are most likely to employ them?

    Now I'd like to ask you a few broad questions which will give you an opportunity to address any additional issues regarding occupational training and employment.

38. What are the emerging issues in the [area] labor market which face vocational education providers?

39. How do you envision vocational education's responses to these problems?

40. What do you expect the most crucial employment and training issues will be for vocational education in the next five to ten years?

    This concludes the interview. Do you have any additional comments which the questions did not cover but which you consider important for vocational education?

1. What skills do you believe [applicant in occupation] should have prior to employment that would qualify her/him for the job?
   • basic math skills

   • basic communications skills (i.e., reading and writing)

   • advanced math (i.e., algebra and calculus) (specify math skills)

   • familiarity with basic technical knowledge of the field

     PROBE: Could you describe these skills?

   • some "hands-on" experience with the relevant technology/equipment (specify type of equipment)

   • other (specify)

2. Do applicants for [occupation] generally have these skills?

   YES       NO

3. (If NO) Could you describe the skills or job preparation applicants lack?

4. How do you recruit for [occupation]?
   • newspaper ads

   • company recruiter in schools

   • guidance counselors in schools

   • word of mouth

   • current employees

   • JTPA

   • JOBS office

   • state employment office

   • other (specify)

5. What is the minimum education or training required for entry-level [occupation] to perform the job?
   • high school diploma

   • two-year degree

   • certificate

   • no degree, but must have taken relevant courses in the field (specify courses)

   • work experience

6. What other skills or qualifications do you look for in [occupation]?

7. Do you administer a pre-employment test for occupation? What kinds of skills are you testing for?

   Probe for behavioral and occupational skills employer is interested in learning about with respect to prospective employees.

8. Do you find that your firm hires [occupation] from particular educational institutions and/or training programs?

   YES       NO (If NO, go to Question 13)

9. (If YES) Please check as many of the types of institutions as apply and list the name of the school.
   • community colleges^*

   • technical institutes^*

   • vocational high school

   • proprietary schools^*

   • other public/private education programs (specify)

   • JTPA

   • employment service/job service

   • other state/local training programs^* (specify)

   • other government training/employment programs^*
     • Specific state and local programs and educational institutions will be included for each of the labor markets in this study.

10. What percentage of [occupation] are hired from [each educational institution]? (Use the names of the schools' respondent cites in Question 9)

11. Why do you hire from these schools? (check as many responses as apply)
    • The school has a reputation for quality training.

    • The firm has hired workers from these schools and found them to be well-trained.

    • Some of the firm's supervisors or managers teach courses at the institution, so we know students are getting exposure to appropriate skills.

    • The firm is part of a consortium of employers/educational institutions. We have worked together to design curriculum and/or recommend courses and programs for job training.

      PROBE: How long has the firm been affiliated with this group? Which educational institutions does the recruiter work with?

    • The firm has a hiring agreement with one or more of the area's schools.

      PROBE: How long has this agreement been in effect?

    • The firm's recruiter has contacts with particular educational institutions in the area.

      PROBE: How long has the firm had such a position?

    • The firm receives government subsidies.

    • Other (specify).

12. What skills do applicants from these schools have that make them more likely to be hired by your firm?
    • solid basic skills curriculum

    • technical skills appropriate for entry-level jobs

    • broad knowledge of the field

    • training appropriate for advanced level work in [occupation]

    • other (specify)

13. Have you found any differences among workers who received training in various schools?

    YES       NO

14. (If YES) Describe those differences.

15. In general, how well do local vocational education institutions prepare students for employment as [occupation]? Why?

16. What suggestions would you have for improving the training of [occupation]?
    • more technical courses (specify courses)

    • more advanced math courses

    • focus on general skills/broad-based knowledge

    • program deficient in several areas (specify)

    • preparation for the "world of work" (list the specific behaviors)

    • no changes, training is satisfactory

17. Are there labor shortages or surpluses of individuals qualified for [occupation]?

18. Do you have to recruit from outside of the local area to find qualified [occupation]?

    YES       NO

19. Are there differentials in pay for individuals with different levels of education or experience? For example, are there differences in starting salaries for workers with experience but no degree and workers with certification, degrees, or coursework?

    YES       NO (If NO, go to Question 21)

20. (If YES) Could you describe the company's policy regarding education-related salary differentials?
    • policy related to prior job experience salary differentials?

    • policy related to on-the-job (OJT) salary differentials?

21. Does the firm offer OJT for [occupation]?

    YES NO (If NO, go to Question 28)

22. What percentage is formal % informal %

23. Who provides OJT? For each category checked, please specify the length of time workers in [occupation] spend in OJT.

    ________________ senior workers in the unit

    ________________ direct supervisor

    ________________ vendor

    ________________ other (specify)

24. Are basic skills included in the firm's OJT program?

    YES       NO (If NO, go to Question 25)

25. (If YES) Describe the basic skills which are part of the firm's OJT program.

26. How long have basic skills been a part of OJT?

27. Are job specific skills taught in OJT?

    YES       NO

28. (If YES) Could you describe these skills?

29. If your firm wanted to upgrade OJT, what skills should employees have acquired prior to employment that would improve the company's training program?

30. Describe your firm's policies on promotion for [occupation]. Please indicate what skills are needed for each job title.

    PROBE: If answers are too general: What skills are [occupation] expected to acquire in order to qualify for promotion within the occupation?

31. Are workers tested as part of consideration for promotion?

    YES       NO (If NO, go to Question 33)

32. (If YES) Could you describe the kind of test [occupation] is given to qualify for a promotion?

33. What are the criteria for promotions within [occupation]?

    Probe for specific company policy regarding promotions and the particular skills and requirements of the occupation.

34. For a nonunion [occupation]: What amount of seniority is considered appropriate when considering a [occupation] for promotion? Please indicate the time period for each title.

35. For a [occupation] represented by a union: What are the contractual rules covering promotions for [occupation]?

36. Does the firm receive support through the Targeted Jobs Tax Credit?

    YES       NO

37. Describe the kinds of equipment and technology [occupation] use.

38. How long has the company used this equipment?
    • purchased in the last year

    • purchased in the last five years

    Now I'd like to ask you two broad questions which will give you an opportunity to address any additional issues regarding employment and training within your firm.

39. What are the biggest problems you have encountered in hiring [occupation]?

40. What do you expect the most crucial employment and training issues will be in the [area] in the next five to ten years?

    This concludes this phase of our study. Do you have any additional comments about employment and training that we did not cover here but which you consider important for your firm?