The manufacturing workforce has been shaped by decades of industry transformation. Modern manufacturing requires workers with a diverse set of skills to perform functions such as research and development (R&D), product and production design, marketing and sales, and customer support. While workers with a high school diploma or less dominated…

As the United States grinds its way through a halting economic recovery, one thing has become abundantly clear: The recession of 2007 continues to reshape the economy in significant and permanent ways. Perhaps the most profound change is the accelerating disappearance of good-paying jobs that require only a high-school education or less. That…

The New England states, like the rest of the nation, are finally starting to show signs of a recovery from the Great Recession of 2008, albeit at different paces. Three of the states, however, still have unemployment rates that are about four percentage points above where they were before the recession began in 2007. Arising from this recovery,…

Certificates are recognition of completion of a course of study based on a specific field, usually associated with a limited set of occupations. Certificates differ from other kinds of labor market credentials such as industry-based certifications and licenses, which typically involve passing an examination to prove a specific competency,…

This report examines the expanding role of community colleges, the emerging credentialing system, and the changes in the economy that have increased the value of credentials. While business has come to rely on higher education degrees to signify general skills, employers increasingly look for performance-based certifications as indications of more…

Presents an excerpt from the book, Help Wanted...Credentials Required: Community Colleges in the Knowledge Economy. States that credentials are now highly sought after by many employees, and community colleges must balance between providing a good education/training and the economic strain of doing so. Discusses changes in the trends of higher…

By the time today's eighth graders reach age 28-29, approximately 66% will have had some kind of postsecondary education or training. There has been a dramatic upward shift in the education and skill requirements for all occupations. Access to higher education has become the threshold for career success. Elite managerial and professional jobs,…