The knowledge-based economy and the information society highlights the importance of developing new competencies for personal, professional and social integration. Problem-solving in technologically rich environments (PS-TREs) is one of these competencies. This research examines the relationships between higher education and the PS-TREs…

This study examines what demographic and skill-level factors predict the aspiration to enroll in any education class or program among people in prison in the U.S. The authors draw independent variables from the literature on prison and community-based programs that relate to educational achievement and aspiration. These include race, gender, age,…

Recently, several countries have attempted to encourage life-long learning and to widen university accessibility to include a wider mix of students. In Australia, numerous new pathways with the Vocational Education and Training sector have been established for these purposes. This study reports on the effects that two variables, gender and age,…

College enrollment trends in the United States are a subject of ongoing concern due to the role higher education plays in shaping the future workforce. Enrollment has gone through periods of growth and decline over the past two decades, reflecting changes in the nation's demographics, economy, and views on the value of a college degree. Total…

In this chapter, we discuss changes in the age structure of the labor force, the need for continued skill upgrading over the life course to remain employable, patterns of participation in adult learning and development activities, and the role community colleges play in providing education and training to middle-aged and older adults. In an…

The purpose of our study is to delve into the education gap between the United States and some countries by examining the literacy and digital problem-solving skills of American educators, and comparing their performance with that of their peers from Canada, Finland, and Japan. We use PIAAC data collected by the Organization for Economic…

In this paper, the second in the "Impact of Human Capital in the American Labor Market" series, the authors reveal that there are large groups of college graduates who lose out on the seemingly automatic earnings premium from their degree, and that their failure is related to a lack of skills. One of every five bachelor's degree holders…

Student achievement varies widely across developed countries, but the source of these differences is not well understood. One obvious candidate, and a major focus of research and policy discussions both in the United States and abroad, is teacher quality. Research and common sense tell that good teachers can have a tremendous impact on their…

Using individual data from PIAAC and aggregate data on GDP and unemployment for the US, Europe, and Spain, we test how macroeconomic conditions experienced at age eighteen affect the following decisions in post-secondary and tertiary education: (1) enrollment; (2) dropping-out; (3) type of degree completed; (4) area of specialization; and (5)…

Policymakers are increasingly concerned that employees need both foundational skills, such as numeracy, and soft skills to take better advantage of new technologies and adapt to changing work. In this study, we examined the relationships between the use of soft skills and occupational outcomes among a nationally representative sample of adult…