This document records the written and oral testimony of witnesses at a hearing on the Goals 2000: Educate America Act. The act has three main components: (1) to provide grants to states and local schools for comprehensive educational reform; (2) to promote the establishment of voluntary national education standards to assist states and local…

These proceedings of a dissemination conference on occupational research in Texas contain the texts of five reports and the abstracts of twelve research projects dealing with various aspects of vocational education. In the keynote address, on free enterprise and vocational education, the role of vocational education in preserving free enterprise…

Arizona businesses are facing a dearth of skilled workers. The work force deficit is about quantity and about quality. It is both an immediate problem and a long-term problem. It is a threat to business competitiveness and Arizona's competitive advantage, and it challenges both industry and government to find solutions. Currently the State of…

Declaring that a "national emergency" exists in American education, the author outlines "Action for Excellence" recommendations developed by the Task Force on Education for Economic Growth, of which he was chairman, and discusses accomplishments in educational reform in the state of North Carolina, where he is governor. (JBM)

Vocational education plays a significant role in the nation's economic development in terms of its capacity to make individuals more employable. It can respond to specific regional needs by producing the skilled workers for a rapidly growing industry. If, however, the industries of a region do not utilize the skills of the existing labor force, it…

Women's workforce attachment is becoming increasingly similar to men's, with rising labor force participation rates and overall occupational diversification. However, many factors impede women's ability to achieve the same employment-based economic security that men experience. Although gender-neutral on their face, public policies reinforce…

This book examines the causes of worker displacement in the United States in the context of national economic change. It discusses the promising, through scattered, efforts already underway to help dislocated workers and outlines more far-reaching steps that can be taken with assistance of the federal Job Training Partnership Act of 1982. The book…

This publication highlights key messages and themes of a conference to discuss critical questions, challenges, and opportunities facing California's welfare and workforce development systems. It is intended as a resource manual that presents the most up-to-date thinking on how policies and services can be designed to better meet the needs of…

A committee examined the number, type, and quality of work and training opportunities available for heads of households under Maine's Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) Program and suggested ways to improve them. Comprised of such representatives of the private and public sectors as employers, AFDC recipients, welfare advocates,…

Wisconsin's welfare reform program, which is called Wisconsin Works or W-2, emphasizes work over education. Wisconsin's welfare reform policy caused the numbers of Wisconsin welfare recipients attending college to shrink by thousands in the mid-1990s. In contrast, increasing numbers of states are coming to realize how much flexibility they really…

Maine's Parents as Scholars (PaS) program provides parents who are eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) with cash assistance and support services while they attend a two-year or four-year postsecondary degree program. PaS participants receive the same cash benefits and access to support services as TANF recipients receive.…

Despite 6 years of economic growth, California's workforce investment system faces the following challenges: (1) meeting the needs of workers who do not earn enough to bring their families significantly above the poverty level; (2) meeting the needs of employers who face continuing shortages of workers with needed skills; and (3) meeting the needs…

This Congressional report contains the testimony and documents presented for the record of the first of two hearings to gather testimony on the effects of welfare reform and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The oral and written testimony focuses on TANF legislation's outcomes and impact on work and families in…

This Congressional report contains the testimony and documents presented for the record at the second of two hearings on the effects of welfare reform and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. Other areas receiving particular attention from witnesses included the impacts of education and training on employment patterns…

Employment, earnings, and poverty among single mothers in New York City and across the United States in the age of welfare reform were examined to identify goals and recommendations for reauthorization of legislation regulating Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The study indicated that although job holding by single mothers has risen…