This paper was presented at the 2009 Economic and Social Outlook Conference, November 5-6 at the University of Melbourne. It takes a sceptical view of the push for "green skills", arguing that skills required in the labour market evolve relatively slowly, and that the way business operates is driven by changing costs, new technologies…

Although rising unemployment is heaviest among unskilled and underskilled workers, it is important to realize that skilled workers now being laid off will never return to their present occupations. Growing shortages of skilled manpower in many occupational areas in addition to unemployment in many job skills are changing work patterns and basic…

This article suggests that the reform of economic instruction in the Former Soviet Union should focus on both learning and action. The incorporation of mathematical methods into the new economic curriculum will occur based on close cooperation among mathematicians and economists. The new economic instruction will have an interdisciplinary…

Community colleges have moved from a period of rapid growth to one of retrenchment, in which junior faculty members are often laid off and new faculty members are not being hired. The community colleges now have an experienced faculty, most at the apex of their careers, but who, in many disciplines, do not necessarily fit student enrollment…

In August 1983, when the second largest employer in Washington County, Maryland, closed its plant, the local unemployment rate was 13%. The following month, Hagerstown Junior College (HJC) received $50,000 in state funds to initiate a dislocated worker (DLW) program. The program included orientation by a counselor, diagnostic testing, and…

Teacher education institutions need to accept responsibility for helping to keep vocational and technical teachers technically current. The University of Minnesota is helping inservice teachers keep up-to-date in three ways. The largest number of teachers have been served through short technical workshops. The workshops have covered a wide variety…

It has been suggested that older workers may be particuarly vulnerable to the obsolescence process. One definition of obsolescence directly implies that the obsolescence construct is a function of two elements, the job and the person. New technologies, new products, and new methods and procedures can result in job changes which in turn can compel…

This speech, given in 1965, addresses the concern about low participation in continuing education. It proposes allowing adults one workday per week for voluntary participation in continuing education, either job related or liberal arts oriented. This proposal is based on the belief that the nation's progress depends on a national program of…

A study examined the effects of plant closing on hourly production employees' attitudes and behavior intentions at a General Electric (GE) plant in Columbia, Tennessee. A survey was constructed and used to collect data from 5 percent of the 400 hourly employees in November 1993, shortly after the announcement of the plant closing. The survey…

The new technology of information and communications can be applied directly to training and educating people more efficiently and effectively. Three major adjustments need to be made in current thinking about human development to meet the challenge of using the new technology. First, the development of people must be viewed as an investment and…

A study surveyed owners of 20 small businesses in North County, San Diego, to determine evidence of teaching and learning. A 13-question survey instrument gathered information regarding whether training and/or education for employees was available, what education was offered, how it fit into the evaluation process, and how business owners saw…

State legislatures and school systems have mandated or recommended mentoring supports for inexperienced teachers. This paper describes a program designed to recruit retired New York City public school teachers to be trained to serve as mentors for newly hired teachers. The study of the training program focused on the interface between the training…

Thousands of workers have been dislocated from jobs in the textile and apparel industries as a result of recessions and structural changes in the economy. Because of the large concentrations of female workers in these industries, women have been particularly vulnerable to dislocation. This study examined job dislocation and factors that affect…

The rapid technological advancement that U.S. society is experiencing has increased the likelihood that workers will have to be trained and retrained throughout their working lives to meet continually changing job requirements. This situation has challenged instructors of technical communication who are faced with the overlap of traditional…

Market-oriented industrial nations other than the United States have experienced rapid structural changes in their economies and reemployment problems among dislocated midcareer workers. The Swedish active labor market approach is a socialized one. This system has been criticized for excessive reliance on microeconomic labor market programs to…