A follow-up survey was conducted of all clients of Wisconsin's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) services whose cases were closed between October 1988 through November 1989. Of the 9,052 surveys mailed out, 2,498 (27.6%) were returned. The following percentages of program completers reported some kind of work within 6 months of leaving…

Earnings and unemployment data from the California Employment Development Department and the California Employment Training Panel (ETP) Program records were used to analyze the effects of ETP. Earnings, weeks of unemployment, and unemployment insurance payments were measured in the year before and after training of ETP trainees who enrolled…

The State of New York conducted a follow-up study of the 76,000 students who completed an occupational education program in New York in 1987. Students were followed up by mail and telephone interviews, with an overall rate of return of 67 percent. Some of the major findings of the study were the following: (1) for all occupational education…

The California Employment Training Panel (ETP), which was designed as a performance-driven training program, pays agencies for training provided only if the trainee is placed and retained in a related job for 90 days. The labor market experience of ETP trainees was tracked from 1989-90, 1990-91, and 1991-92 to measure the impact of ETP training on…

Arizona businesses are facing a dearth of skilled workers. The work force deficit is about quantity and about quality. It is both an immediate problem and a long-term problem. It is a threat to business competitiveness and Arizona's competitive advantage, and it challenges both industry and government to find solutions. Currently the State of…

Declaring that a "national emergency" exists in American education, the author outlines "Action for Excellence" recommendations developed by the Task Force on Education for Economic Growth, of which he was chairman, and discusses accomplishments in educational reform in the state of North Carolina, where he is governor. (JBM)

Data from the California Development Department's Unemployment Insurance System were used to track the earnings and employment of more than 57,000 California Employment Training Panel (ETP) trainees served by ETP projects that ended in 1994-95 and 1995-96. ETP trainees' earnings gains averaged 15%, versus 11.8% in the case of similar workers who…

A study reviewed the efforts of six states (California, Florida, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Washington) to create new policies and strategies to support low-income individuals as they work. The study found the following: (1) working steadily initially after leaving welfare is linked to being employed in later years but is not linked to higher…

This report presents findings of a demonstration project that tested the concepts and applications of linking student records using social security numbers with state unemployment insurance (UI) wage and other data sources. It also contains information of value to policymakers, state and local administrators, practitioners, and consumers of…

The California Workforce Literacy Task Force conducted studies and surveyed existing literature to determine the status of literacy and other basic skills in the state's work force. The results are reported with a series of recommendations for a broad-based state strategy to improve worker productivity through better educational opportunities. Ten…

This five-section paper describes how the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system, the largest system of higher education in the state, determines what degree programs will be created, based on needs for workers in various occupations in the state. The paper begins by discussing why connecting demographic trends, learner segments,…

The Adult Diploma Program is a high school equivalency program that is operated as a partnership between the Continuing Education Institute in Watertown, Massachusetts, and five area businesses. In early 1997, 36 of the program's 40 graduates were surveyed regarding their activities since graduation and their views of the program's usefulness to…

Structured work and training activities for welfare recipients in West Virginia began in 1962 when the state's entire caseload of two-parent families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children was enrolled in mandatory work and training activities. In 1980s-1990s, the Community Work Experience Program became an important tool in…

Wisconsin's welfare reform program, which is called Wisconsin Works or W-2, emphasizes work over education. Wisconsin's welfare reform policy caused the numbers of Wisconsin welfare recipients attending college to shrink by thousands in the mid-1990s. In contrast, increasing numbers of states are coming to realize how much flexibility they really…

Maine's Parents as Scholars (PaS) program provides parents who are eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) with cash assistance and support services while they attend a two-year or four-year postsecondary degree program. PaS participants receive the same cash benefits and access to support services as TANF recipients receive.…