This final brief in the series focuses on policy options that can foster more innovation and address challenges in career education (CE) program development. It is based on earlier research for a series of reports called "Career Opportunities," aimed at identifying ways that state and system policy can best support the CE mission of the…

The recent health crisis -- and unprecedented, rapid job loss associated with it -- has illuminated how unprepared the United States is for helping workers who lose their jobs reskill to prepare for and successfully enter new employment. Policy responses to the current crisis -- while critical -- have fallen far short of addressing challenges…

The Worker Retraining (WRT) program is a key strategy in meeting the economic and workforce needs of Washington's workers and employers. Funded through the state legislature, the aim of WRT is to ensure dislocated and other unemployed workers have access to education and training that will help them reattach to the labor market in jobs and careers…

In 2007, Michigan undertook a bold mission: to retrain tens of thousands of adults to qualify for jobs in emerging and expanding sectors of the economy. The state's proposal to jobless, dislocated, and low-income residents was simple but appealing: enroll in up to two years of postsecondary education, and Michigan would cover up to $5,000 in…

A study investigated how 22 Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) were implementing the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). In 19 SDAs the same organization was the grant recipient and administrative entity. A number of arrangements existed between the Private Industry Councils (PICs) and the SDAs. The most common pattern was for the PIC to play an…

This report concentrates on the overall state organization of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and on the implementation of Title IIA and III in the states as well as related implementation issues. The study is introduced in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 discusses the overall state organization of JTPA, addressing both formal and informal…

This report covers a number of aspects of the implementation of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 discusses state-level organization and decision making, involving such questions as relations among the parties, designations of the Service Delivery Areas (SDAs), the state role in Title III, and Title…

An evaluation of net impact of programs funded under the Washington State Employment and Training Act (ESHB 1988) of 1993, which provided money to community and technical colleges to expand existing courses and create new ones for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants most likely to lose jobs. The evaluation focused on whether the displaced UI…

Earnings and unemployment data from the California Employment Development Department and the California Employment Training Panel (ETP) Program records were used to analyze the effects of ETP. Earnings, weeks of unemployment, and unemployment insurance payments were measured in the year before and after training of ETP trainees who enrolled…

To assess the current connections between the Unemployment Insurance (UI) and One-Stop (OS) systems, case studies were conducted of eight states and eight local areas. Findings indicated the major factor that influenced UI's role in the OS design was whether the state took initial claims by telephone or in-person; UI played differing roles in…

The federal government's experience with adult retraining programs began in 1962 with the passage of the Manpower Development and Training Act and creation of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. When the 1973 Comprehensive Employment and Training Act expired in 1982, Congress enacted the Job Training Partnership Act. During the 1980s, states…

The Job Skills Program (JSP) in Washington State provides job training customized to meet the needs of employers through partnerships of employers and training institutions. The JSP funds up to one-half the cost of training, with employers providing a match. Training can be provided for new employees, for upgrading employees receiving promotions,…

In order to measure their effectiveness in promoting rapid re-employment and shorter spells during which claimants are entitled to collect unemployment insurance (UI), the U.S. Department of Labor tested these three assistance strategies in the District of Columbia (8,071 claimants selected during June 1995-June 1996) and Florida (12,042 claimants…

The Illinois Council on Vocational Education evaluated the adequacy and effectiveness of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in Illinois. Three categories of programs were offered: Title IIA Employment and Training Services to economically disadvantaged youth and adults and Older Individuals Programs; Title IIB Summer Youth programs; and Title…

Iowa's Job Retraining Program was evaluated through a review of operations, surveys/interviews with community college staff, and survey responses from 43% of the business participants. Resulting recommendations were as follows: (1) retaining the program in the Department of Economic Development rather than transferring it to the state's 15…