While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to high unemployment rates overall, low-wage workers have been hit particularly hard. It is likely that many of the jobs lost as a result of the current recession will never return, even as new jobs are created. Some job seekers may have to learn new skills so they can find employment in a new field. Sector…

The Worker Retraining (WRT) program is a key strategy in meeting the economic and workforce needs of Washington's workers and employers. Funded through the state legislature, the aim of WRT is to ensure dislocated and other unemployed workers have access to education and training that will help them reattach to the labor market in jobs and careers…

This guide is a result of the 2018-2019 National Governors Association (NGA) Chair's initiative, "Good Jobs for All Americans," led by Montana Governor Steve Bullock. This initiative aimed to understand the changing world of work and the factors that affect an individual's ability to connect to a good job and for businesses to access the…

In February 1983, the North Carolina State Advisory Council on Education issued a paper entitled "Retraining of the Unemployed in North Carolina." The major recommendations of the paper were that the North Carolina Employment Security Commission (NCESC) require an employability plan for each person applying for unemployment benefits that…

Eugene Lehrmann, vice-chairman of the board of the American Association of Retired Persons, makes a case for continuing contributions of retired adults in the work force, emphasizing the role of vocational education in the transition to a postretirement career. (SK)

Discusses the creation of an organization to assist highly specialized technical people who have become unemployed to qualify for other occupations in order to generate income. (EK)

An evaluation of Hong Kong's Employee Retraining Board programs used interviews, case studies of training agencies, surveys of trainers and graduates, and employer focus groups. Recommendations were made regarding measurement of the size and characteristics of the displaced worker population, targeting of services, and alignment of incentives with…

In the midst of the economic recession of the early 1980's, two major facilities in Galesburg, Illinois, were closed down: a large private company and a state mental health facility which employed 15% of the local residents. The economic and social impact of these closures created a crisis for the town, its inhabitants, and service workers. In…

Unlike many other employment programs, TOPS offered substantial improvement over secondary labor market jobs, and changed radically in opportunity structure during the course of its operation. Trainee reactions to the extreme changes in program structure indicated that the behavioral patterns of disadvantaged minority employees are closely tied to…

Discusses the problems related to the retraining of laid-off workers: the scarcity of jobs, the belief that retraining does not help, failure of government retraining programs, and lack of employer participation in retraining programs. Suggests that one solution is continuous retraining of workers on the job--before they are laid off. (JOW)

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…

Intended to stimulate discussion within the employment and training community, this issues paper tells how to enhance the employment opportunities for older workers, particularly through the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). The document consists of an introduction, 23 narrative sections, references, and a 28-item annotated bibliography. Each…

This study investigates the relationship between client motivation or lack of motivation for vocational rehabilitation services, and rehabilitation outcome. Clients who had received services at a rehabilitation center during a two year period were rated on their level of motivation for rehabilitation services using the contents of diagnostic…

The article describes "Project Occupations" at a Missouri junior college to train and find employment for low-income persons who are unskilled, undereducated, have lost jobs, or are chronically unemployed. Emphasis is on fast training and placement in area businesses. (MF)

Occupational training programs for employed as well as unemployed workers at every skill level and public systems of continuous training and education for adults, expanding in three Western European countries, merit American attention. (MF)