While the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) plays a role in workforce development, state policymakers actively seek ways beyond WIOA requirements to connect education with workforce development. As states work to align their workforce needs with appropriate education and training, they frequently do so by identifying…

The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the United States economy and left a record number of individuals unemployed. In slightly under five months, more than 54 million people applied for unemployment for the first time, while the economy contracted by 33 percent, the largest dip in history. While the impact will likely be short-term for some career…

In 2011, the Harvard Graduate School of Education released "Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century." The report argued that the current education system was too narrowly focused on the goal of preparing all young people to pursue a four-year college or university degree immediately…

Innovation has powered America's economy, creating good jobs and a high standard of living. Yet, the U.S. share of innovation-based industries is in decline, jeopardizing our status as the world's innovation leader. And one reason is that the United States has been unable to produce enough of its own workers with sufficient skills in science,…

This study addresses the fundamental question, "Are Kentucky's public community and technical colleges training enough students with the relevant skills to fill job openings in Kentucky's middle-skill jobs?" By examining student interests in occupational programs, labor market demand for trained middle-skill employees, and their…

Several high-level committees have concluded that current domestic and global trends are threatening America's global science and engineering (S&E) preeminence. Of the challenges discussed, few are thought to be as serious as the purported decline in the supply of high quality students from the beginning to the end of the S&E pipeline--a decline…

Is the United States getting it wrong when it comes to educating tomorrow's innovators in critical fields? It has been known for years that the only way to compete globally in information technology, engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and other fields is to give students the best educational opportunities possible. But do individuals have a…

A theory of vocational education and training (VET) somewhat different than that currently accepted is a set of beliefs about the purpose, practices, and principles associated with producing occupational competence. VET institutions need to be aware of and responsive to work force requirements. An analysis of information about current and future…

Alaska's State Training and Employment Program (STEP) was designed with the primary objective of reducing current and future claims against Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits by providing training to those who are unemployed or facing unemployment. STEP is also charged with fostering growth of existing businesses and attracting new businesses to…

Lifelong learning and skill flexibility are especially important for workers in China, where structural economic adjustment has generated 22 million layoffs from state-owned enterprises since 1997. Skills that were in huge demand in previous years, such as accounting, international trade, and language translation, are now facing serious oversupply…

In order to respond effectively to the profound impact that high technology has had on the labor market in Wisconsin, members of the Wisconsin Board of Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education (VTAE) must address a number of key human, curriculum, policy, and technological concerns. State VTAE agencies must close ranks, maintain close…

Despite 6 years of economic growth, California's workforce investment system faces the following challenges: (1) meeting the needs of workers who do not earn enough to bring their families significantly above the poverty level; (2) meeting the needs of employers who face continuing shortages of workers with needed skills; and (3) meeting the needs…

This report summarizes Washington-statewide results achieved in the most recent academic year for which statewide data are available (in most cases, the 2005-2006 academic year). Data on results for individual four-year institutions, as well as a variety of background information and contextual data is presented separately in a comprehensive…

The performance of Alaska's State Training and Employment Program (STEP) in fiscal 2000 was evaluated by matching the records of participants of the following STEP subprograms with Alaska and Washington state unemployment insurance (UI) wage records and federal military and federal civilian payroll records. Data were collected for participants of…

The growing importance of education in overall economic growth and individual opportunity has necessitated that education reformers address the need for the additional and better human capital needed to foster overall growth in the new knowledge-based economy. Education reformers must also work to reduce the growing differences in family incomes…