As the United States economy moves away from manufacturing, members of this workforce are facing an uncertain future. In this study, an interpretive methodological framework is used to explore women's experiences with textile manufacturing job loss, and subsequent retraining at a local community college. Narratives of four displaced workers and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate individuals' learning and propensity for changing their job situation during downsizing in a company. Design/methodology/approach: A case study was carried out in an industrial company that had undergone major downsizing to adapt to changes in production. Approximately 100 employees retrained at…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to illuminate the life experiences of displaced workers enrolled in community colleges for retraining and their views on obtaining employment after completion of a degree. The study is important because it provides qualitative data that will inform community college academic leadership, faculty,…

In Mississippi, the bulk of the responsibility to conduct workforce training falls on the community colleges. With the recent trends of large industry relocating overseas, layoffs, and plant closures, these challenges have become prevalent in rural America. Through the development and delivery of workforce programs to local business and industry,…

Describes how a married couple survived being laid off at General Motors, returning to college to be retrained for new jobs. (JOW)

Consists of four articles describing company and government policies concerning helping dislocated workers. Discusses (1) pre- and post-layoff services at General Motors, (2) placement services for geologists displaced by the collapse of the petroleum industry, (3) the Job Training Partnership Act, and (4) information services for laid-off…

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)

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…

This report examines a typical case of a small town within a predominantly rural county losing its largest employer of many years. During 1992-95, over 850 workers were laid off in Cortland, New York, as Smith-Corona Corporation transferred its manufacturing operations from Cortland to Tijuana, Mexico. Interviews with laid-off workers, conducted…

Retraining of employed technical professionals as an alternative to termination is being used by a small but growing number of firms. Case studies of involuntary and voluntary retraining generated guidelines for cost-effective programs: management support, candidate screening, career counseling, and realistic job previews. (SK)

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) was passed in 1987 to provide advance notice to workers whose jobs are to be eliminated because of plant closings and relocations. A study examined the extent to which advance notice eases the adjustment problems associated with permanent loss of jobs. Data from the Displaced Worker…

In February 1993, a General Accounting Office (GAO) representative testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee regarding implementation of the Worker Readjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), which requires that certain employers give their workers and state/local governments 60 days' notice of impending plant closures or layoffs. The…

This document on vocational guidance and counseling for unemployed adults in Denmark contains 7 chapters and a 22-item bibliography. Chapter 1 identifies the purpose of the report and summarizes the contents of the report. Chapter 2 describes the available guidance on training and occupational choice in Denmark. Governmental rules for the work of…

This document contains the oral and written statements of witnesses who testified at a hearing on the Reemployment and Retraining Act of 1994 and the WARN [Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification] Amendments Act. Witnesses included Senator Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio, several union and public employment program officials from several states,…

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) is a benefit paid to workers who lose their jobs in industries that face increasing competition from imported goods. TAA is supposed to offset political pressures for protectionist legislation, and it has been justified on grounds of equity and efficiency as well. Research on TAA shows that it has failed to aid…