There are 29 million "middle jobs" in the United States that pay $35,000 or more on average and don't require a Bachelor's degree. There are five Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways that educate and train Americans for these jobs: employer-based training, industry-based certifications, apprenticeships, postsecondary certificates, and…

In an American economy where the advancement of technology and globalization means that a high school diploma alone is no longer able to provide family-sustaining earnings to many, certificates represent one piece of a multi-pronged solution on the road to a workforce with 60 percent postsecondary attainment. Though certificates currently aren't…

This report projects education requirements linked to forecasted job growth in healthcare by state and the District of Columbia from 2010 through 2020. It complements a larger national report which projects educational demand for healthcare for the same time period. The national report shows that with or without Obamacare, the United States will…

"College for all" arises from deep in our individualistic cultural bias, and the motto works as a public narrative because high school vocational alternatives are widely regarded as second best by the general public, if not by the elites. However, there is more to "college for all" than cultural bias, political positioning, and middle-class angst.…

For recent high school graduates, life is tough. In the past year, one in four young high school graduates was unemployed and over half were underemployed. In the past decade, recent high school graduates' wages have fallen by 12 percent to just $19,400 annually in 2011, below the poverty threshold for a family of four. The downward plight of high…

This publication summarizes research that shows that it would be a serious economic error to favor investment in machines, financial capital, and extracted resources over investments in the education and training of people. The discussion begins by explaining the relationship between job-related learning, individual opportunity, and the…

Identifies the basic skills needed by workers to function in today's high technology workplace. Examines ways of training employees in learning and communication skills, adaptability, personal management, group effectiveness, and organizational leadership. Describes the eight-step training approach used by Mazda Motor Manufacturing Corporation.…

Presents an excerpt from the book, Help Wanted...Credentials Required: Community Colleges in the Knowledge Economy. States that credentials are now highly sought after by many employees, and community colleges must balance between providing a good education/training and the economic strain of doing so. Discusses changes in the trends of higher…

Discusses the changes in the American economy during the past century, highlighting its evolution from an industrial economic base to a system of high-performance work organizations. Describes the increased importance of postsecondary education and the role of community colleges in providing both academic and applied skills training. (21…

This document, one of the results of a 3-year study, provides an overview of training in the United States in terms of who gets trained and how the training itself is organized, structured, and delivered. The findings were developed through a literature review, the work of advisory panels, feedback from 400 experts and practitioners, interviews…

This document summarizes research on partnerships in training. Part I describes forming linkages between employers and providers as a common business transaction and identifies services available from providers, locating a provider, criteria for selecting a provider, and how to evaluate linkage relationships. Part II describes the providers of…

This publication identifies the front-line lessons learned to date on the role of education in the next phase of welfare reform. It presents the voices of leading welfare administrators, educators, business people, and current and former welfare recipients. Part 1, "Identifying the Issues," presents "The Case for Investing in…