The United States labor market has seen dramatic shifts in its occupational composition over the past few decades. Employment and wages have grown for workers at both the high and low end of the skill distribution, while those in the middle have suffered. Community colleges have historically acted as suppliers of middle-skill jobs and drivers of…

This working paper serves as a preview of the second in a series of four policy briefs that will explore the nexus between postsecondary education and workforce development. The completed policy brief will focus on a number of questions about California's workforce and examine economic and workforce trends in California, including projected…

The existing vocational education delivery systems for exceptional students (grades 9-12) in Orange County, California, were evaluated. In the first phase, a needs assessment survey was developed to identify vocational education programs/classes available for handicapped students through sheltered workshops, high schools, community colleges, and…

The Employment Training Panel consists of seven representatives of business and labor who were appointed by the Governor of California and the state's legislature to administer funds transferred from the state unemployment insurance fund for job training. The panel is authorized to contract with employers and schools to conduct training that puts…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with block grants to states, called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Consistent with TANF's philosophy and goals, Los Angeles Jobs-First GAIN (Greater Avenues for Independence) emphasized job search…

A study examined the long-term effects of three training projects sponsored by the Employment Training Panel that were established in California in 1983. The three projects, which were all designed to prepare participants for entry-level jobs, were implemented in 1983-1984, with placements into new jobs generally occurring in early- to mid-1984.…

This report provides objective information about the relationship of poverty, welfare, and homelessness to California's regional economy and about the design of programs that help people in poverty build working lives. California does not have enough jobs for its workforce, and welfare caseloads are consequently determined by the economy. The…

Post-high school activities of 1983 California graduates were studied as part of the initial phase of a 5-year follow-up study. Of 11,512 graduates who were mailed a questionnaire, 4,040 responded. About 75 percent indicated that they were enrolled in a school or college during the last fall or winter; about 49 percent were employed and about 16…

Using in-person questionnaires, 553 newcomers and 106 long-term residents were interviewed in late 1979 and early 1980 in 5 small northern California communities to explore the role of newcomers in developing the rural economy, and especially to analyze the resources emigrants bring with them: their skills, education, background, and business and…

Interviews with young workers, their parents, and their employers in seven communities (Birmingham, Alabama; Salinas, California; Esterville, Milford, and Terril, Iowa; Lawrence, Massachusetts; and Detroit, Michigan) show that today's young workers--the 20 million 16- to 24-year-olds who do not plan to go to college--do not receive the support…

This document reports on the resettlement of Hmong refugees in Fresno County, California: what their employment experience has been, which resettlement efforts have been successful, and how current resettlement efforts could be altered to improve the Hmong's long-tern adjustment. Much of the data was gathered through personal interviews with Hmong…

This document reports on the resettlement of Hmong Refugees in Portland, Oregon: what their employment experiences have been, which resettlement efforts have been successful, and how current resettlement efforts could be altered to improve the Hmong's long-term adjustment. The report is part of a larger, national project on Hmong resettlement.…

This document describes the resettlement of Hmong refugees in Orange County, California: what their employment experience has been, which resettlement efforts have been successful, and how current efforts could be altered to improve the Hmong's long term adjustment. The report is part of a larger, national project on Hmong resettlement. Much of…

This booklet, which is designed to clarify facts regarding the minimum wage's impact on marketplace economics, contains a total of 31 questions and answers pertaining to the following topics: relationship between minimum wages and poverty; impacts of changes in the minimum wage on welfare reform; and possible effects of changes in the minimum wage…

The first findings of an evaluation of California's welfare-to-work program, Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN), related to its impact on employment, earnings, and welfare payments. The impact results came from a study of applicants for and recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in six counties and were limited to the…