In this second annual summary of the their work, the Investing in Community Initiative provides practical advice for community leaders and policymakers around four critical issues. First, how should local needs be defined? Chapter 1 argues that data about local economies can show whether communities are best served by creating new jobs,…

America faces the most devastating economic crisis since the Great Depression, and National Skills Coalition (NSC) stands with the working people and local businesses who have been most impacted by the pandemic's economic fallout. Equitable opportunities for working people and local businesses to participate in and benefit from a rebound and…

Researchers asked 17 participants in a job-training program to describe their personal struggles following an economic restructuring. Examined through a critical theoretical lens, findings indicate that the learners enrolled in the program to reclaim security, dignity, meaningful work, and caring relationships. Program planners at community…

Case studies of six interorganizational collaborations for job training and economic development found that these exemplary arrangements produced other benefits, providing flexible and adaptive capability for dealing with long-term economic development processes. A planning and development model to replicate successful linkages was developed. (SK)

This case study illustrates how one home economist became involved in community economic development and quality of life improvement. Among the techniques she used were quality of life awareness, community outreach, partnership, needs assessment, and response. (SK)

Vocational educators have finally realized that they can offer more to economic development and job creation activities than just training. At places where this realization has spurred action, building linkages and opening channels of communication, vocational programs are succeeding in their efforts to increase employment opportunities. (CT)

An Enterprise Zone Working Group brought together enterprise zone directors, Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program administrators, and private industry council representatives from the state and local levels. It discussed ways in which employment and training programs could better coordinate with development activities in enterprise zones.…

It is the job of business education teachers to take an active role in developing entrepreneurs. Teachers should give encouragement and training to aspiring entrepreneurs, and assist them in establishing and expanding their own businesses. (CT)

Some 280 industry, education, labor, and state and local government leaders exchanged information about how Appalachian programs can harness technology to make traditional industries more competitive, package capital for job-creating industries and business, launch service industries, match education with jobs, and fit displaced workers into the…

This document records the oral and written testimony of persons participating in a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on employment and training needs during the current recession. Testimony was given by leaders of youth education and jobs programs, congressional representatives, a college president, and several unemployed workers. Witnesses…

This volume is part of a series designed to promote stronger ties between the educational resources in the Northeast and Midwest and the economic development process. It focuses on the question that public officials face in addressing structural dislocation and long-term unemployment: whether to continue only to support those unemployed or to…

Investments in technology and the number of workers using computers are growing quickly and at an increasing rate. From 1990-1995, investments in computers and related equipment tripled. Real (inflation-adjusted dollars) investments in computers and peripheral equipment increased from $200 million in 1973 to $91.6 billion in 1995. Increasing…

In addition to vocational education's role in training workers for jobs, vocational education has an additional role in helping to create jobs for workers by cooperating with industry and with economic development agencies. There are three ways that vocational education helps industry to promote economic development and create jobs. They are (1)…

Interest in encouraging linkages between economic development efforts of various federal agencies with the job development and training activities of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) led, in 1979, to the development of an interagency effort, the Employment Initiatives Program, and the signing of six interagency agreements with…

This report provides results of an evaluation of SKILLNET, an education and training innovation to commission training in the newly redeveloped area of London's dockland. Chapter 1, an introduction, defines SKILLNET's primary function--to address the current mismatch between kinds of jobs available in the area and the levels and kinds of skills…