Globalization has offshored low skills manufacturing, leaving industry in the United States to adjust business models, install ever-advancing technology, and incorporate automation on their production floor. These advances in precision and computer-aided work require a labor force with technical and "soft" skills to operate complex…

This study responds to a national conversation about the role that Career Technical Education (CTE) might play in meeting workforce demand for soft skills. It is challenging for CTE programs to offer soft skills for several reasons. Both educators and employers tend to associate CTE with hard skills, or technical skills and therefore the programs…

Providing students with verifiable 21st-century skills and competencies has become increasingly more challenging for Higher Education Institutions (HEI). This study sought to investigate why institutional data from a college in the northeast reported lower levels of acquiring job- or work-related skills compared to other colleges in the system's…

Current workplace learning for those who work in businesses that host a Project SEARCH program (a high school transition-to-work program) is not cohesive and comprehensive enough to sufficiently promote the equity and inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce. Consequently, young adults with disabilities may experience implicit or…

This qualitative study explores student skill preparedness for the work force through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with current college students, faculty members, and employers. Responses from study participants were transcribed, coded, and thematically organized into the following four categories of skills that employers seek in…

The purpose of this study was to examine the digital literacy of Gen Z employees in higher education and provide implications for HRD research and practice and contribute to the HRD literature on Gen Z employees in the 21st century workforce. Three research questions guided my study: How do Gen Z employees in higher education experience digital…

Evidence today shows that there is a skills gap among employable young adults. This study was based on a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program evaluation that was conducted in a rural school district in northwest North Carolina. The study examined the perceptions of the program by CTE high school teachers, CTE community college instructors,…

For higher education (HE) institutions, preparing students to be job-ready upon graduation in the 21st century is no easy feat, but critical for future growth in business. Technology, globalization, and the knowledge economy have increased employer demands for new skills and investment in human capital. Yet employers still argue that graduates…

A critical issue today for organizations is the lack of skills among the workforces. One of the main concerns for industries and organizations in the United States is how they plan to keep up with these shortcomings and be able to compete with fierce competition in a global market. The only rational and palpable answer to this concern is for the…

This study examined how a technical college can best meet the needs of engineering technology-based employers to address the current workforce gap. The study also explored what engineering technology-based employers see as the largest skills gaps in the current workforce, as well as how a technical college can address the concerns. Using a…

A well-built manufacturing industry is essential to a nation's economic affluence and improved economic conditions. The problem addressed in this study involves inadequate training preparedness programs which lead to several unfilled jobs in the manufacturing industry. By providing appropriate educational programs and industry-specific training,…

The organizing ideal of educational equity in U.S. public schools, premised on ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to attain the highest levels of achievement, has most recently manifested as efforts by policymakers and practitioners to promote "college and career readiness". These efforts reflect the goal of maintaining…

In 2010, the Office of National Coordinator (ONC), a branch of the federal government, launched a program called the IT Professionals in Health Care Program. The Program was intended to address the anticipated shortage of skilled workers in health information technology (HIT) and electronic health records (EHRs). According to the National Opinion…

Historically, community college missions have addressed both the transfer to 4-year colleges and universities, as well as local workforce development. To facilitate the workforce development component of their mission, community college leaders and program managers have regularly sought partnerships with significant industry members in their…

A committed workforce is critical to the success of any organization. While there was a great deal of debate on how to best describe commitment, one model that attracted a significant following is the Three Component Model (TCM) developed by Meyer and Allen (1988). While it may be argued that the model is a mixed model combining attitudinal and…