The COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 triggered a recession and deep changes in Washington's labor market. Widespread temporary business closures, followed by a slow-paced phased reopening, have caused soaring unemployment rates. Workers are looking to improve their employability in a rapidly shifting economic landscape by reskilling into…

The recent health crisis -- and unprecedented, rapid job loss associated with it -- has illuminated how unprepared the United States is for helping workers who lose their jobs reskill to prepare for and successfully enter new employment. Policy responses to the current crisis -- while critical -- have fallen far short of addressing challenges…

A number of costs are associated with the implementation of trade agreements not the least of which is the cost to the American workforce. The information age ushered in an era of globalization unlike anything the world economy had experienced before. As countries raced forward to dominate emerging markets and grow market share, millions of…

Many have heard calls from national policy experts, the Obama administration, and influential foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Lumina Foundation for Education to increase the number of Americans with postsecondary credentials earned at community colleges by 5 million within 10 years. If community colleges choose to…

This bibliography summarizes recent research on the structure and effectiveness of workforce development programs. While the term "workforce development" can mean many things, this document focuses on programs to help low-skill, low-wage and displaced workers increase their employment and earnings, as well as labor market trends that…

This report describes the performance of New York City's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) adult training providers. It discusses challenges currently faced by providers, and recommends strategies for improving the performance of the city's employment and training system, including those arising from the implementation of the Workforce…

This guide was developed to meet the marketing, outreach, and recruitment needs of job training organizations. It is designed to help organizations create a positive and professional image of local job training programs in their business community. The guide is organized in three sections that cover the following: (1) marketing and outreach…

Getting people back to work has become a national concern. The nation's economy lost jobs as of July 2003 for six months in a row, dealing another blow to a slow reviving labor market. According to the Labor Department, 486,000 jobs disappeared from the economy. And, the Employment Development Department in California reported a decline of 21,800…

Iowa's Job Retraining Program was evaluated through a review of operations, surveys/interviews with community college staff, and survey responses from 43% of the business participants. Resulting recommendations were as follows: (1) retaining the program in the Department of Economic Development rather than transferring it to the state's 15…

This 3-year follow-up report describes actions taken by the Illinois Council on Vocational Education (ICoVE) during 1989, 1990, and 1991. It addresses the 31 suggestions and 23 recommendations of 5 technical reports (spanning 1987 and 1988) related to coordination. Recommendations from 1987-88 and follow-up actions are reported on the following…

This document is the first issue of a National Alliance of Business publication designed to present proven solutions, cutting-edge strategies, and comprehensive reference materials and to examine in depth in each issue a critical issue related to public/private employment and training partnerships. This first issue addresses one of the most…

A project used the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to assist eligible dislocated workers in determining whether training offered by the Toledo Dislocated Worker Consortium fit their needs. More specifically, O*NET was used to help the dislocated workers understand whether they had knowledge and skills that were transferable into the…

The Older Worker Project was conducted to provide employment services to unemployed persons aged 45 and older who live in the western part of the Hennepin County (Minneapolis, Minnesota) area. Although the expected result was permanent employment of the participants, the intention of this demonstration project was to refine service approaches…

A project was conducted at Indiana Vocational Technical College to (1) identify unemployed or laid-off persons who required vocational guidance and/or training in order to reenter the work force; (2) ascertain realistic occupational goals, competencies, and potential job markets; and (3) develop and implement a counseling program with written…