Rural America has long been perceived as "left behind" by policies that leave it struggling while benefiting bustling urban cities and suburbs. That narrative holds some truth: rural America has a declining population, along with lower educational attainment and lower workforce participation than urban America. But while rural America…

This landscape report explores the impact of earning micro-credentials on the social mobility of rural learners. Through four in-depth case studies, we show how earning micro-credentials may lead to credential attainment, workforce entry, promotions, and/or economic improvements (e.g., salary increase, prioritizing learners impacted by poverty),…

Between Utah's strong economic measures and numerous nationally recognized achievements (i.e. Best States Rankings, Top States for Business 2019, Utah Ranks Among the Fastest Growing States in the Nation), it is clear that the state's economy has experienced one of the strongest expansions in the country. As Utah's economy prospers, the need for…

Developing and scaling high-quality systems of college and career pathways that help young people successfully transition through education into high-paying, high-demand careers requires strong leadership. This piece highlights key lessons about the structures and commitments that are necessary for effective leadership and governance from JFF's…

We argue that place-based college scholarships, if designed intentionally and leveraged effectively, can foster local economic development. Since the introduction of the Kalamazoo Promise in 2005, a growing number of communities have applied the place-based approach to investments in human capital through the creation of college scholarship…

In 1997, the General Assembly adopted the "Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997" (HB 1), a bold and visionary act to reform Kentucky's public system of higher education. This piece of legislation established broad goals for increasing educational attainment at all levels, and charged the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary…

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) was charged by state statute with developing a statewide Master Plan for the future development of public universities, community colleges, and colleges of applied technology, with input from the Board of Regents and the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees. The overriding function of the Plan…

The United States has been underproducing college-going workers since 1980. Supply has failed to keep pace with growing demand, and as a result, income inequality has grown precipitously. From 1915 to 1980, supply grew in tandem with demand. But, starting in 1990, the share of college-educated young people in the workforce rose very slowly. If the…

"Research Messages 2014" is a collection of summaries of research published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in 2014 in the context of changing economic, industrial, social and education conditions, organised under the following broad categories: (1) Productivity: to sustain and build Australia's human…

Two imperatives form the basis of the present paper. The first is the market-driven imperative, vital to production and value-chain development. The second is the knowledge imperative, central to the advancement of human capacity and institutional development. In view of these two imperatives, this paper argues for overhaul in extension toward a…

Part of any effort made by the California Postsecondary Education Commission to better understand the nexus between postsecondary education and the workforce is learning more about emerging economic and workforce trends. The emergence of the "green economy"-- economic activity based on environmentally-friendly, sustainable principles and…

Canada weathered the global economic crisis well, mainly reflecting sustained growth in domestic pending, and the economy is continuing to grow despite the persistence of international turbulence, most recently stemming from the euro zone sovereign debt crisis. In Canada's case, several factors are acting in its favour. Federal fiscal plans are…

For the last year, an independent panel chaired by Sir Adrian Webb has been evaluating the role of the further education (FE) sector in the delivery of education, lifelong learning, and skills in Wales. The challenges facing the panel were considerable and its remit broader than that of the Foster review in England. In response, the final report…

In this article, the authors discuss the importance of building a technological infrastructure and of creating educational opportunities for Native Americans that focus on information sciences in order for them to keep up with quickly changing technologies and to close the information gap, and present a research that focuses on the specific…

More than ever before, demographic changes in Washington combined with increasing workforce skill demands require an educated citizenry in the state. This paper describes a new initiative by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges aimed at measuring colleges and awarding funds to them for improvements in the significant…