President Barack Obama has touted the development of a new green economy as a tool to rebuild the American economy while creating new jobs. This new economy requires entrepreneurs and innovators to create new businesses and invent new technologies. It also requires technicians with specialized skills to build wind farms, operate renewable fuels…

This article features the 2009 Association for Career and Technical Education's (ACTE) Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo which was held in Nashville in November. Despite somber economic times, the Annual Convention drew thousands of attendees, more than 200 exhibitors, offered engaging sessions and speakers, and the new chief of the Office of…

This article examines the current conceptualization of mentoring in academic libraries and argues that traditional hierarchical mentoring relationships are no longer sufficient for developing tomorrow's leaders. Drawing insights from the management and human resources development literature, it concludes that an expanded understanding of…

In a competitive workforce it is not just having the right qualification or technical skills that will land an individual a job; it could very well be their interpersonal skills. How someone communicates is often the first impression an employer has of a possible worker. Yet, it is precisely communication skills that employers feel applicants are…

The United States has been underproducing college-going workers since 1980. Supply has failed to keep pace with growing demand, and as a result, income inequality has grown precipitously. From 1915 to 1980, supply grew in tandem with demand. But, starting in 1990, the share of college-educated young people in the workforce rose very slowly. If the…

In recent work, the author has estimated the rate of return for several workforce development programs in the State of Washington, including secondary and postsecondary career and technical education (CTE; Hollenbeck, 2008). The returns are based on estimates of the net impact of CTE on individuals' labor market experiences and government income…

To enhance state-level adult education and employment policy, in 2007 the Joyce Foundation began the Shifting Gears (SG) initiative to assist six states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) to integrate adult education, workforce development and postsecondary education policies and improve job opportunities for low-skilled…

"Preparing for Work," developed by Equipped for the Future at the Center for Literacy Studies, University of Tennessee, is a skills-based course designed for implementation in organizations and agencies involved in preparing their clients and students for entry level work. Each of the instructional modules that comprise the…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of older adult dislocated workers who participated in community college non-credit workforce training programs. The research questions guiding the study were: (a) what are the experiences of older adult dislocated workers who attend community college non-credit workforce…

The Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance held a public hearing in Washington DC on Friday last September 30, 2011. Three questions drove the discussion: (1) What are the primary barriers to access and persistence for nontraditional students?; (2) What are the most promising state and institutional strategies and policies for…

"Investing in Kids: Early Childhood Programs and Local Economic Development," a 2011 book by Timothy Bartik, Senior Economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, provides a new evidence-based approach for effective economic development. This approach is designed to support business growth and job creation by improving…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "Engineering Solutions to the National Crisis in Literacy": Alliance Brief Calls for Alignment Between…

Adult educators have strong beliefs. This will surprise no-one, but where do their beliefs come from, and how do they influence future development of their teaching practice? Drawing on my PhD research, I explore the multi-directional relationship between teaching beliefs and practices, considering the influence of past traditions of adult…

This paper examines the ways in which credentials from a range of education providers are used to (re)produce transnational financial elites in London's international financial district. Extant research has examined the long-standing relationship between educational background and entry into these financial labour markets. Far less attention has…

Contemporary test-based reforms are often grounded in the claim that test performance is the key to international economic competitiveness. However, this oft-repeated assertion lacks empirical support. According to the World Economic Forum, the United States' recent loss of economic competitiveness standing is due to macroeconomic instability…