The purpose of this article is to explore the competencies required and exhibited by human resource development (HRD) professionals during a crisis. Keeping the current COVID-19 pandemic in the foreground, we examined the industrial, change management, and crisis management literature to illustrate how HRD professionals successfully helped their…

With the complex and ever-changing business and employment environments, learners are being prepared for jobs that may no longer exist, while others are not acquiring the skills needed for the in-demand jobs to which they aspire. Given the future of workplace demands, there are strong indications that non-degree certifications and…

Skills have long been associated with productivity and economic well-being. A large body of evidence shows the value of academic and technical skills in the workplace. And in recent years, soft skills--skills that make for an effective employee, such as time management and communication--have also become increasingly valued in the workplace.…

The 21st century is seeing dramatic shifts in the business environment. In order for organizations to adapt to these shifts, they must be more flexible and learning oriented. To thrive in this environment, organizational leaders must facilitate and build the capacity for learning throughout the organization. Organizational leadership is looking…

Around the world we hear considerable talk about creating world-class schools. Usually the term refers to schools whose students get very high scores on the international comparisons of student achievement such as PISA or TIMSS. The practice of restricting the meaning of exemplary schools to the narrow criterion of achievement scores is usually…

It has been known that quality preschool can boost children's early literacy and social agility, skills valued highly by employers. The returns to preschool appear to be stronger for Latino children, especially those from non-English speaking families, compared with other populations. But newly available data reveal that preschool enrollment…

From helping to achieve economic well-being to constructing a sense of self, literacy plays a central role in how people interact with each other and with the world around them (Phelps, 2005). The importance of being literate has only increased over the decades and stands to become even more important in the future. Fifty years ago, an abundance…

The ability of employees to interact cooperatively and collaboratively is the fulcrum of competitive advantage for organizations operating in pluralistic environments. Contact theory suggests several conditions under which effective interpersonal relationships across racial, ethnic, and cultural groups may occur. Research examining the contact…

"Equipped for the Future" ("EFF") Standards have been developed to answer a complex question: What do adults need to know and be able to do in order to carry out their roles and responsibilities as workers, parents and family members, and citizens and community members? It is widely recognized that the demands of adult life changed dramatically in…

Human resource development (HRD) uses a wide variety of theories from multiple disciplines and fields of study to create its own unique field of scholarly practice. As with any field, however, we tend to get comfortable with familiar theories and theorists and fail to explore other possible sources of wisdom. One scholar whose work is worthy of…

This paper provides an overview of MDC's Connecting People to Jobs program, which uses a partnership approach to move people into living-wage jobs. The paper includes lessons learned and recommendations for grantmakers. (Contains 11 footnotes.)

Most of the occupations for which students need to be prepared have not yet been designed, however, it is acknowledged that the majority of employment will be in service related fields. According to the research, the jobs most people will perform will only exist for three to five years, therefore, training for a specific job is not what is…