The nation's health-care system has strained to keep up with the COVID-19 crisis. This pressure is occurring alongside mismatches in the supply and demand for health-care professionals that predate the pandemic, shaped by the aging of the U.S. population, declining birth rates, and other trends. Immigrant professionals have long played a vital…

Even before the coronavirus pandemic began, policymakers, businesses, and workforce advocates were already recognizing that workers were not being replaced by robots, but rather, being called upon to work hand-in-glove with rapidly evolving technology. When the pandemic struck, millions of U.S. companies hustled to change how they did business.…

Key stakeholders expect colleges to have relationships with employers in their communities that will connect students to relevant internships and to jobs soon after graduation and to offer continuing education opportunities so that laid-off workers can retool their skills to meet emerging labor market needs and incumbent workers can upskill for…

This brief summarizes findings from implementation, impact, and cost-benefit evaluations of Accelerating Opportunity (AO). AO is a career pathways initiative launched in 2011 that aims to help adults with low basic skills earn valued occupational credentials, obtain well-paying jobs, and sustain rewarding careers. AO was one of the first efforts…

Since 2013, states have witnessed significant legislative activity related to secondary- and postsecondary-level career/technical education (CTE). One key goal of much recent policymaking activity has been to improve alignment between high school and postsecondary CTE programs, including by developing state or regional structures to design career…

Participation in today's knowledge-based economy requires some postsecondary education. Further, acquiring the foundational skills and critical thinking skills necessary for both civic engagement and career enhancement require some level of postsecondary attainment for most adults. Concurrently, the population growth, labor force participation,…

The outcomes states gain from investing in postsecondary financial aid programs remain hotly debated, leading to great interest in developing programs that are both cost-effective and productive in helping states meet goals. In the 2012-13 academic year, states collectively provided approximately $11.2 billion in financial aid to students enrolled…

Based on author's M.S. thesis, Southern Illinois University, 1968.

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…

This study was conducted to determine: (1) the stated criteria and priorities which the Illinois Vocational and Technical Education Division uses to determine the distribution of funds to districts, (2) how closely the actual distribution of funds match the stated criteria and priorities, (3) whether the actual distribution of funds reflect…

This report of the Master Plan Committee on Social Work Education is part of Phase III of the Illinois Statewide Master Plan for Higher Education dealing with graduate and professional education. Part I presents an overview. Part II gives a brief description of social work and a statement of the problem. In Part III the social work manpower in the…

This master plan for environmental and energy higher education in Illinois is a direct result of a mandate from the Illinois General Assembly. To prepare students to confront our nation's environmental problems, each university will submit a management and development plan, designed to preserve existing environmental values and provide…

This report of the Master Plan Committee on Public Administration is part of Phase III of the Illinois Statewide Master Plan for Higher Education. Chapter I summarizes the Committee's 14 recommendations. Chapter II is the introduction. Chapter III describes in some detail the nature of the public service's present and projected needs for persons…

This report of the Master Plan Committee on Legal Education is part of Phase III of the Illinois Statewide Plan for Higher Education dealing with graduate and professional education. Chapter I, the introduction, describes present legal education capacity. In chapter II the State's future legal education demands are discussed, and in chapter III…

This report presents existing workforce levels, training programs and career potentials and develops staffing level projections (1976-1982) based on available information for the State of Illinois. The study concerns itself with the environmental pollution control areas of air, noise, potable water, pesticides, radiation, solid waste, wastewater,…