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…

Regions around the country are grappling with current and anticipated skills shortages and, in some cases, labor shortages. Economic prosperity depends heavily on the quality of the workforce, and yet far too few regions have recognized their best underutilized asset: the mature workforce. Because mature workers are nearing traditional retirement…

Most recent research on the impact of the new computer technology on skills has been focused on developing arguments that either support or contradict the "deskilling" thesis put forth by some economists and sociologists in the mid- and late 1970s. Although this research remains inconclusive, some generalizations can be suggested. The research…

This report on the textile industry focuses on the training and education of production-level textile workers--from unskilled factory hands to first-level supervisors. It is part of a larger study of the educational implications of broad economic changes, particularly the spread of microelectronic technologies, growing national and international…

State skills corporations are public/private ventures designed to increase the supply of skilled workers in a state. Using public funds matched by private dollars, the corporations bring business and educational institutions together to train workers for skilled occupations. One of the principal goals of the corporations is to establish an…

Implications for universities of high technology industries and the labor market are unclear. There is a need to ease the transition for those categories of workers who will be affected: women, low- and medium-skill workers in manufacturing, and certain categories of middle-level managers. The provision of highly qualified personnel is the…

This document reports on a project designed to customize training for employees of manufacturing industries in six western Pennsylvania counties. Project goals were to facilitate collaborative vocational and technical training programs between educational institutions and private sector companies and to establish demonstration sites, manufacturing…

The Asian Business Council surveyed 40 large Asian businesses on training strategies, emerging skill shortages, government investment in training, and the quality of the education and training sector. Of the 25 businesses that responded, 23 had their head office in Asia and all but 3 had more than 500 employees. Although the responding businesses…

This process manual explains the procedures followed by a project that provided training for employees of manufacturing industries. It also focuses on the project's attainment of two other objectives: (1) helping industry in the target area become more competitive with foreign rivals; and (2) building a network between industry and education. A…

Technological advances necessitate the continuous retraining of the work force. Three technologies are having greatest impact on the labor force: (1) the scope and depth of computer skills required by most jobs continue to expand; (2) robotics in manufacturing means that certain new jobs are more technical and require postsecondary education; and…

This document, resulting from a 3-year study, provides an overview of technical training in the United States, examines the occupations and workers defined as technical, describes where and how technical training is produced and delivered, and discusses the connection between technical training and the strategic goals of the organization. The…

The role of generic skills in the lives, work, and employment of 127 dislocated workers in a broad cross-section of job categories in five areas of Australia were examined through individual interviews, focus groups, and a survey questionnaire. Selected findings are as follows: (1) generic skills are developed in all areas of human endeavor,…

The question of whether graduates of Australia's technical and further education (TAFE) programs are getting what they want from training was examined. A market segmentation approach was used to analyze data from the 2001 Student Outcomes Survey (SOS). The market segments analyzed covered 93% of TAFE graduates surveyed in the 2001 SOS. The…

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…