Continuing education and training

The article, which is concerned mainly with the graduate workforce, is based on a presentation to the British-North American Committee (BNAC) Working Group on `living and working issues´. It is intended to be of interest to BNAC members and a wider audience of employers and unions, offering recommendations for action and best practice. The author also hopes to stimulate discussion on issues such as: How should local needs for continuing education and training be determined, and strategies be defined at the graduate, nongraduate, professional, vocational and general education levels? What modes of provision are available, at what locations, e.g. at the workplace, at home, on campus and at what relative cost? How should optimum levels of expenditure on continuing education and training be determined (are there analogies with R&D)? Since both the employer and employee benefit, should there be coinvestment; i.e. should costs be shared between them? How can the success of continuing education and training programmes be evaluated (are there analogies with R&D)?