Suggests that work training programs based on the concepts of democracy and entrepreneurship may facilitate improvements in employment opportunities for disadvantaged and minority youth. Attributes unemployment to deficiencies in the current economic and social structure, and discusses design and implementation problems in current employment…

Describes the Community College of Allegheny County's Jobs for Economic Growth project, which provides county residents with paid public service work experience, vocational training at the work site, educational opportunities outside of work time, and support services. Highlights program components including assessment, individual program…

Forty-four urban young adults with mental retardation participated in an employment training program which assessed trainees' interests and abilities and taught them self-evaluation, negotiation, occupational skills, and employability behaviors. Thirty-five completed training; 94% became competitively employed. Gender, residence, race,…

A survey of vocational rehabilitation agencies in 49 states and the District of Columbia identified 74,657 supported employment participants and 2,647 provider agencies. The survey analyzed disability classifications and severity levels of participants, employment model used, availability of extended services funding, and wages and work hours of…

Despite the profession's historic commitment to poor people, little advanced social work practice is reported in work-enhancement programs. Outlines employment-related needs among poor people in the context of economic and policy change. Discusses successful work programs. (Author/JDM)

Job Corps, administered by the Department of Labor, is an employment and training program aimed at providing severely disadvantaged youth with a comprehensive array of services, generally in a residential setting. A study conducted meetings with Department of Labor (DOL) officials, analyzed national data on program participants, and visited six…

For a number of years, studies have reported that people with disabilities have lower work force participation rates than the general public. One factor may be a lack of transitional, vocational programs for young people with disabilities. This digest describes "Thresholds," a career development program created with a basis on the unique…

Canadian counselors working with young offenders confront at least two problems that interfere with effective intervention: a trend toward increased incarceration, and public confusion and mistrust over approaches to reducing crime. Research during the past decade is beginning to show clearly that programs for young offenders and other at-risk…

This guide was developed to meet the marketing, outreach, and recruitment needs of job training organizations. It is designed to help organizations create a positive and professional image of local job training programs in their business community. The guide is organized in three sections that cover the following: (1) marketing and outreach…

In Program Year 1994, Colorado divided its Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) funds among adult and youth job training programs, summer youth programs, dislocated worker programs, and the Governor's Special Initiatives. JTPA staffing levels decreased at the same rate as the declining budget. The programs became especially efficient at using…

According to the Advisory Board of the National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce (EQW), young people in the United States are losing out in the job market, too often having to settle for intermittent, part-time jobs, routinized work, low wages, and few if any benefits. This circumstance has been the result of a net loss of 1.65…

This book is a "how-to" volume on implementing a career ladder program for challenged youths in transition from school to adult life. It presents an approach to career exploration, training, placement, and ongoing development that coordinates career-oriented activities with classroom activities. The core of the program is the community classroom,…

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 included a component focusing on programs for displaced homemakers and single parents. This part of the legislation was precipitated by the following statistics: almost half of all families maintained by single women had incomes below the poverty line; the number of displaced homemakers and…

A strategic planning process for work force development has been proposed as the best way to improve the coordination of Utah's many employment and training programs. At both the state and federal level, it is widely recognized that employment and training issues have not been addressed in a very coherent way. Both the federal and state…

A hearing was held on education, training, and service programs that serve disadvantaged teens. Testimony was presented on recent research findings concerning these programs and on their implementation. The major lessons learned from the Summer Training and Employment (STEP) program were presented, including those of implementation and impact. A…