Career and technical education (CTE) is increasingly seen as a major potential contributor to the recovery of the U.S. economy. However, the effectiveness and impact of the current Carl D. Perkins Act (otherwise known as Perkins IV) that governs CTE are unclear. Is the federal investment in CTE paying off? To answer this, we need to establish the…

This report contains program evaluations of Washington state agencies represented on the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board: Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), and Employment Security Department (ESD). OSPI's report uses data from the graduate…

During 1996-97, state agencies in Washington worked to implement the state's High Skills, High Wages Plan for Workforce Training and Education, focusing on seven most urgently needed actions to ensure that the people of the state succeed in an economy that requires ever higher levels of skill and knowledge. The seven actions are the following: (1)…

During 1997-98, state agencies in Washington worked to implement the state's High Skills, High Wages Plan for Workforce Training and Education, focusing on seven most urgently needed actions to ensure that the people of the state succeed in an economy that requires ever higher levels of skill and knowledge. Progress made on seven actions included…

In Washington, urban centers enjoy rising wages and low employment; rural areas have stagnating wages and high unemployment. Most family-wage job opportunities are in occupations that require some postsecondary education but not a four-year degree. The shortage is most severe in the supply of skilled workers with vocational training. Technology…

Three evaluations analyzed program characteristics and participant results in work force education and coordination in Washington State. The Employment Security Department's evaluation of Job Training Partnership Act Titles II and III looked for an association between participant characteristics and the type of training they receive and between…

This study analyzes the gaps between supply and demand for workforce training in Washington State and recommends strategies for reducing the gaps. Using data from state and national surveys, supply and demand is analyzed in three categories: youth, adults, and adults with barriers to employment, from the perspectives of both employers and…

This second biennial outcome evaluation analyzes results of nine programs in Washington's work force training system that account for approximately 90 percent of public spending and recommends areas for improvement. Findings are from: program records on over 65,000 individuals who left one of the programs during the 1995-96 school year; mail…

The third biennial outcome evaluation of the state of Washington's workforce development system analyzed the results of nine of the state's largest workforce development programs plus employer-provided training for participants who left programs from July 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998. For reporting results, the nine programs were grouped into three…

Research examining the impact of arts education on workforce preparation has confirmed that programs incorporating the arts can be educational, developmentally rich, and cost-effective ways of providing students with the skills needed for productive participation in today's economy. Arts education has been shown to help students develop basic,…

Surging demand for workers, growing income inequality, and passage of welfare reforms have made work force development one of the United States' key national concerns. Public/Private Ventures has been working with various states to design work force development strategies that seek to address the concerns of many work force development specialists…