This guidance supersedes the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) Program Memorandum (PM) 20-2 published May 10, 2023, and rescinds OCTAE PM 17-7 "WIOA Annual Performance Report Submission," published September 12, 2017, developed jointly by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education (the Departments). Through this…

Purpose: This study is to examine and develop sector skills strategies and action plans for the textile and apparel (T&A) sector. Design/methodology/approach: The paper used a participatory action qualitative method anchored on the Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification (STED) framework, utilising the workshop-based approach with 24 key…

The U.S. labor market is at a crossroads. Many sectors and their employers face a persistent struggle to fill positions. This challenge is driven by several interconnected factors: an aging population, lagging labor force participation, and a widening gap between the education/training system and labor market demand that leaves many workers…

There is a wide gap in America's middle-skills economy. On one side are people searching for economic opportunity, striving to make a good living with hard work, on-the-job experience, and a few years of formal postsecondary education or training. On the other side are employers, who are willing to pay high wages for skilled workers who can fill…

Intercollegiate athletics are undergoing a transformative phase. Over the last few decades, student-athletes have valiantly fought for and successfully secured more rights, benefits, and freedoms, including the right to compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This progress, however, is just the beginning. Many student-athletes and…

Job training can provide women with the skills and supports needed to access good jobs with family-sustaining wages. It is particularly important for the many women who do not have college-level education and often work in low-wage jobs with limited prospects for advancement or may be returning to the labor market following a caregiving break.…

Teachers face many challenges throughout their careers, including initial difficulties in obtaining the necessary credentials, securing employment, and high turnover rates. This report focuses on exploring these challenges by addressing the requirements outlined in Chapter 394 of Public Law 2021 (P.L. 2021, c.394). Heldrich Center researchers…

The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) is the coordinating organization for the Illinois Community College System and administers Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The ICCB recognizes the importance of preparing residents with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in postsecondary education and the…

This study examined higher education workforce development practitioners' views on incorporating innovation ecosystems into workforce models to address U.S. workforce pipeline gaps and evolving labor market needs. While current programs have some success, they often fail to prepare graduates with knowledge and specific skills for rapid entry into…

In 2022, industry leaders voiced concerns to policymakers that Idaho was not producing enough engineering and computer science graduates from its public institutions to meet the needs of Idaho's economy. In response, the Idaho State Board of Education commissioned an analysis from Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) to…

This mixed methods study investigates the factors influencing job satisfaction and retention among early intervention (EI) providers in Washington State. The research aims to provide insights into the challenges faced by EI providers and identify strategies to improve workforce stability within the state's EI system. The quantitative phase of the…

The solar energy sector plays a critical role in South Africa's energy transition, especially as it is one of the country's fastest-growing renewable energy sectors. It is envisaged that this growing sector will create numerous jobs in the short-, medium-, and long-term for intermediate-level skills development and will serve as an important…

The purpose of this report is to provide readers with a comparative analysis of the Massachusetts workforce "system" structures and performance reporting processes compared to other states. Though the federal workforce development system is often examined in its entirety and individual state systems are at times examined independently,…

Children's occupational aspirations begin forming at an early age and there are multiple social, educational, and experiential factors that may affect them. These aspirations are still poorly understood in the context of presumptive labour markets, however. This study aimed to elucidate the frequency, influences, and rationale regarding the…

The aim of this study was to review and analyze studies on pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS) conducted before and after the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) to capture decades of changes in these studies. A content analysis of literature was conducted on 95 studies on pre-ETS implemented in the…