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,…

We investigated the extent to which employment consultants implemented job development practices recommended in the literature when assisting job seekers with intellectual or developmental disabilities. We contacted 83 employment consultants from 25 employment programs in Minnesota and Connecticut. Fifty-nine participants were eligible and…

Job creation is what America needs; however that is not the full story. Job creation is just the beginning of the story to address how America responds to workforce needs today and in the future. It is an invitation to examine current and future workforce needs in an effort to fill jobs, lessen the skill gap and provide industry-driven credentials…

Episodic volunteer opportunities allow for short-term services--either one-time or recurring. The organization using such volunteers must identify new jobs that can be performed on an episodic basis or redesign traditional volunteer jobs. (SK)

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…

Describes research studies focused on community college workforce development efforts. Displays the extent of training needs in general and specific workforce areas. Results were pooled into eight workplace skills areas using a weighting percentage procedure, with computer related, interpersonal/team, and critical thinking skills emerging as the…

A more businesslike approach to job development, which stresses meeting employer needs, is encouraged for growth in supported employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Seven job development guidelines are offered, including research businesses to identify personnel needs and problems, and define services so employers understand…

The California State Job Training Coordinating Council (SJTCC) appointed a youth subcommittee to determine the role that the SJTCC should play in preventing inadequate skill development and lack of jobs from destroying the working lives of California's high-risk youth. The subcommittee identified the state's high-risk youth as those who have…

Analyzes the Federal government's record, since the 1930s, on issues affecting employment and the economic well-being of Blacks. Throughout the last 50 years, legislative efforts to create full employment have been directly hampered by poor implementation, weak leadership, and a tendency, highly visible in the Reagan era, to place expenditures for…

The booklet describes the Parents Alliance Employment Project, a program to provide job development, job placement, and job coaching to persons with intellectual disabilities in the DuPage County, Illinois, area. The first four sections provide an introduction, explain the program's philosophy, describe the population served by the project, and…

The objective of this project was to determine the need for manpower training in solar energy technology and report it on a regional and/or state basis. Three basic questions were to be answered by the project: (1) Based on a survey of solar heating and cooling systems equipment, what types of systems are being manufactured? (2) What is the…

The 1978 reauthorization of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) introduced a new title, Title VII: the Private Sector Initiative Program (PSIP). This title instructs Prime Sponsors to form a new kind of intermediary organization, a Private Industry Council (PIC), which has the major objective of increasing the opportunities of…

The importance of rural areas in Finland is discussed. Padasjoki is used as an example of the problems of a small rural town and the solutions: creation of jobs and changes in land and housing policies. The Padasjoki model in theory and practice is examined. (CT)

To begin implementation of job development and other efforts, a Nassau County task force committee composed of representatives from business, labor, education, and government recruited a job developer to coordinate a county-wide program designed to increase employment opportunities for persons age 55 and over. Objectives of the committee include…

A technical note on using consultants for learning materials development and production, written for the staff of the Indonesian Directorate of Community Education, outlines procedures for determining the need for consultants, choosing the kind of consultant needed, and working effectively with consultants. What consultants are, and what kinds of…