Rural areas depend upon community colleges to train people for the fields that match their regions' current and growing needs. To do so, these colleges must keep abreast of the employment trends in their area, be aware of where jobs have been lost and where they are being gained and determine how to recruit students who might be reluctant to be…

This paper was presented at the 2009 Economic and Social Outlook Conference, November 5-6 at the University of Melbourne. It takes a sceptical view of the push for "green skills", arguing that skills required in the labour market evolve relatively slowly, and that the way business operates is driven by changing costs, new technologies…

The Job Skills Program (JSP) in Washington State provides job training customized to meet the needs of employers through partnerships of employers and training institutions. The JSP funds up to one-half the cost of training, with employers providing a match. Training can be provided for new employees, for upgrading employees receiving promotions,…

Ireland's Industrial Restructuring Training Programme (IRTP) was evaluated to determine its effectiveness as a vehicle for improving the managerial and supervisory skill levels of employees in existing enterprises. Data were collected from the following sources: review of all program-monitoring documents submitted since the IRTP's inception;…

An evaluation of the New Opportunities for Women (NOW) program in Western Australia was undertaken. Questionnaires were mailed to a stratified random sample of NOW enrollees. Responses were received from 308 women, a 45.7 percent response rate. Findings included the following: 81 percent of NOW students went on either to paid employment or further…

Iowa's Job Retraining Program was evaluated through a review of operations, surveys/interviews with community college staff, and survey responses from 43% of the business participants. Resulting recommendations were as follows: (1) retaining the program in the Department of Economic Development rather than transferring it to the state's 15…

The question of whether graduates of programs in Australia's technical and further education (TAFE) sector get what they want from training was examined by analyzing data from the 2001 Student Outcomes Survey. The survey collected data on students who completed a full course of study and graduated from a TAFE institute in Australia in 2000. The…

A study examined approximately 130 projects that were conducted in New York between November 1980 and December 1983 as a part of the state's Short-Term Program for Economic Development. During the study, researchers interviewed representatives of the businesses, industries, unions, and educational institutions involved in the training programs in…

The antipoverty initiatives of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations were essentially continued and given increased funding during the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations. The Reagan and Bush administrations marked the regression of many employment, training, and welfare programs. Employment and training issues were given high priority…

This document, which is intended to stimulate debate among vocational education researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, provides a comprehensive overview of the development of vocational training policy at the European level over the past 40 years. The following are among the topics discussed in the document's eight chapters: (1) moving from…