Wyoming's construction sector faces a growing number of job openings yet contends with a decreasing number of skilled workers. This study explored the Wyoming Construction Workforce Training Program (CWTP) from an inclusivity perspective, investigating the accessible, usable, and relevant instructional design and delivery conditions. Through…

The problem to be addressed by this study is that Maine's workforce is facing a significant shortage of skilled labor which is impacting the sustainability and growth of Maine's economy. The shortage of skilled workers extends from trades to medical professionals and is worsened by Maine's unique demographical and geographical factors. In response…

Engaging recent points of discussion within academia and practitioner research focused on access/ibility in the cybersecurity workplace, this dissertation examines the impacts of National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) cybersecurity workforce frameworks on people and communities within the field of cybersecurity. The emerging era in…

Barriers to education and training can have a generational impact on socioeconomic status and economic development. Post-traditional students have been shown to experience a variety of barriers to education and family-sustaining employment. Social capital has been shown to help alleviate some of the barriers for students, resulting in stronger…

Higher education and workforce systems have reformed over the last decade. These reforms are in response to an evolving economy, irregular political environment, a damaging pandemic, and declining enrollment in postsecondary education, and are an attempt to better prepare employees for new occupations and increased competition for students. One…

Currently, only 22% of high school graduates meet the basic requirements for one or more college courses in mathematics, science, reading, or English signifying fewer students with the skills to enter careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) (Smithsonian Science Education Center, 2015). In contrast, science and…

Since its introduction in the early 1900s, the codification of vocational education has made explicit that one purpose of the American public education system should be preparation for the workforce. Over three-quarters of high school students participate in present-day career and technical education, nearly half of undergraduate degrees conferred…

Emerging adults in rural, boom-bust economies face unique challenges, especially in employment and education. Drawing on emerging adult and social disruption hypothesis literatures, this study examined four primary research questions. First, how do emerging adults in rural boom-bust towns in southwest Wyoming understand and experience boom-bust…

This study develops a critical understanding of how democracy and neoliberalism shape community college (CC) internationalization. CCs are sites of ideological struggle as they navigate and balance their democratic values of access with societal pressures to economically rationalize their existence. Within the growing movement of CC…

The human brain is a byproduct of the natural process of evolution, as is the knowledge it contains. Like other natural resources fit for human consumption, knowledge can be modeled as a physical entity that can be sought after and acquired. In ancient times, knowledge was geographically constrained as a consequence of being a physical entity…

This study utilized Clark and Estes' gap analysis framework to investigate barriers to building an academically and/or professionally trained Qatari student affairs workforce at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Data collection combined a survey of 32 respondents with nine in-depth interviews drawn from the same sample. The respondents' experience in…

This executive position paper identifies the three year process, 2015/2016-2018/2019 school years, in which a school district's career and technical education district team implemented and completed the Program Improvement Process for Equity (PIPE) Project. To meet the workforce demands of the 21st century, our schools must improve access, equity,…

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (Aud et al., 2013), only 10.6% of students who started at a two-year institution in the 2003-2004 year successfully completed a baccalaureate degree from a four-year institution within six years. Two- and four-year institutions are looking for new strategies to improve transfer student…

The purpose of this study was to investigate Maryland State Senators and Delegates attitude toward ten goals of the community college mission (academic transfer/general education, globalization, community service, continuing education, developmental education, open access, student services, vocational-technical training, funding, and workforce…

Several national trends are converging to impact adult education today. First, the increasing presence of adults in higher education is accentuated by the expansive Baby Boom generation who are demanding greater access to the higher education system in the United States. Second, regarding workforce and economic development in the 21st century,…