Using multi-year data captured by annual national surveys of state community college directors, the study examined relationships among factors related to workforce education in community colleges. Variables of interest were related to the following categories: state and federal funding for workforce development, workforce development delivery in…

The purpose of this study was to examine policy issues from the unique viewpoint of state offices that are responsible for the supervision of community colleges and their role in developing the workforce. Using selected survey items from the 2012 Survey of Access and Finance conducted by the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama, 50…

Across Colorado, manufacturing employers forecast an on-going need not only for workers who are interested in career opportunities but who are prepared to enter the advanced manufacturing industry with the necessary high-tech skills. Additionally, employers report concerns about replacing retiring workers that take with them decades of…

In light of the current economic downturn, thousands of Iowans are unemployed and this is the ideal time to build the skills of the workforce to compete in the knowledge-based economy so businesses and entrepreneurs can compete in a global economy. A tool for assessing the skills and knowledge of dislocated workers and students as well as…

In this interview with the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the following issues are covered: workforce development, new areas of focus, transition from the old to the new system, community colleges and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), short-term and long-term challenges, and other initiatives.…

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 provided states with a great amount of flexibility in the implementation of a system-wide approach to job training and workforce development. The legislation consolidated employment and training services into a one-stop system that is known as JobLink Career Centers in North Carolina. This document presents…

Discusses the implementation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and its impact on community colleges. Relates WIA to issues of new vocationalism and describes some creative community college programs. (Contains 17 references.) (NB)

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) clearly identifies community colleges as integral players in creating a high quality workforce. With multiple funding streams, greater local control over system design, and a mandate for universal access, community colleges must be able to address the client tracking and data management challenges that…

Employment and training programs in the United States have evolved through several legislative incarnations since the early 1960s. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA), signed by the President on August 7, 1998, made dramatic changes in the way employment and training services are delivered, creating a new governance structure consisting of state…

This report by the Chancellor of The Alabama College System provides recommendations to the governor for implementing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 in the state. The WIA consolidates and streamlines the federal role in adult and youth job training and adult and vocational education. Alabama high school graduates who were successful in…

This document presents the comments of the president of the North Carolina Community College System regarding economic and workforce development issues facing the community colleges. He states that North Carolina is a leading manufacturing state today in an economy that is increasingly being refocused on information-based services. From an…

This paper is intended to guide small groups of vocational educators in discussions regarding work force education issues for the next century. The following work force issues are suggested: the aging work force; vocational education's role in reforming K-12 education; distance education for technical education programs; the labor shortages…

This white paper highlights provisions of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), signed into law by President Clinton in 1998, and presents the resulting opportunities for The Alabama College System to broaden its role as a partner in redefining and advancing the state's workforce development system for the 21st century. The foreword points out the…

Increasingly, small and mid-sized businesses are becoming just as focused on work force training as large corporations are. The training being provided by smaller companies is extending beyond nuts-and-bolts instruction into the area of core business skills, such as leading, managing, thinking creatively, and solving problems. States are…

There is a strong and growing argument for higher educational attainment in the United States. The jobs that are expected to support the economy in the coming years will depend on a skilled workforce that is able to learn and adapt quickly to new challenges. However, demographic patterns demonstrate that relying on the traditional K-16 pipeline to…