During the early 2000s, state and local leaders developed career pathways programs in an effort to redesign education and workforce development systems to better meet the education and employment needs of low-income, educationally underprepared adults. These career pathways increase individual prosperity and regional competitiveness by aligning…

Argues that the nation's community colleges provide the vital service of upgrading workers' skills to keep companies competitive globally. Points to a survey of 608 community colleges indicating that 69% offer workforce retraining. Suggests that the role of colleges will expand if they are successful in making workers more competitive. (XZ)

This report, presented by the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education, proposes suggestions to the governor and legislature that would enhance the possibility of achieving proposed goals for improving workforce education and training services for the people of Alabama. The plan contains three main parts. First, that Alabama's two-year…

This white paper highlights provisions of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), signed into law by President Clinton in 1998, and presents the resulting opportunities for The Alabama College System to broaden its role as a partner in redefining and advancing the state's workforce development system for the 21st century. The foreword points out the…

This document discusses North Carolina Community College System's mission statement "to open the door to opportunity for individuals seeking to improve their lives and well-being..." The North Carolina Community College System was designated the primary lead agency for delivering job training, literacy, and adult education programs. The…

For the past 4 years, Alpena Community College, in Michigan, has participated in the Workplace Partnership Project (WPP), a federally funded grant program designed to provide literacy skills to individuals currently employed but lacking the background to keep pace with the changes of the modern workplace. The process for establishing classes at a…

Economic changes create stress as U.S. businesses progress toward building a high quality work force for the year 2000. Skills such as critical literacy, communication, writing, math, and interpersonal competence are desired. Critical literacy involves the higher order thinking skills: the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize. In addition,…

As a source of trained workers, postsecondary schools need to develop a curriculum that encourages critical thinking and provide an environment that helps students to understand the changing economy. The curriculum should be based on the student's experiences and interests and should prepare one for life situations. In the business curriculum,…