In early 2000, Florida's workforce wasn't keeping pace with demand. The state decided that a then-novel credential, a bachelor's degree from a community college, was the solution. The plan is working. The new bachelor's degrees initially focused on education, health care, and information technology. Even as the job market has shrunk, demand has…

Nearly every high-priority item in national, federal, state, and local discussions about education--and policy proposals across the political spectrum--requires high-quality longitudinal data to inform its design, implementation, and evaluation. This factsheet shares Data Quality Campaign's (DQC's) analysis of what "Data for Action 2011:…

The fourth recommendation in ACTE's postsecondary reform position statement is to ensure portability and transferability of credits and skills attained. All postsecondary learning has value that should be recognized. Students' progress toward completion of postsecondary credentials can be improved with clear, consistent policies that ensure full…

Following a review of programs conducted under the Job Training Partnership Act in Florida, the following recommendations were implemented: long-term performance was evaluated; local training efforts were examined; and employment training program oversight responsibility was assigned to Enterprise Florida Jobs and Education Partnership. Further…

To address key policy and programmatic questions and help improve student and system performance, states must work to link data across the early childhood, postsecondary and workforce (P-20/workforce) spectrum and share this information with appropriate stakeholders. This issue brief highlights current efforts in California, Florida, Indiana, and…

Since President Obama took office, he has repeatedly called for the United States to significantly improve its postsecondary education performance. One goal in particular has gained wide attention: the President's declaration that in an ever more competitive global marketplace, the United States must once again lead the world in college…

This booklet describes programs designed to offer a comprehensive system to improve Florida's work force. Through these programs, students and workers in Florida are prepared to enter the labor force, attend technical training programs, enroll in other postsecondary programs, or upgrade their skills on the job. The following are discussed: the…

The Enterprise Florida Jobs and Education Partnership was developed to create and maintain a highly skilled work force able to respond to rapidly changing technology and market opportunities essential to a competitive Florida economy. A review of the partnership found the following: (1) the partnership has adopted a research design as required by…

To ensure that Florida's vocational education programs are relevant to the changing needs of the state's labor market: (1) activities on new and emerging occupations should be coordinated through the Labor Market Information Coordinating Committee (LMICC); (2) the Bureau of Labor Market Information (BLMI) should identify significant occupations…

Reauthorization of welfare reform legislation has focused attention on the effectiveness of short-term training as a means for welfare recipients to attain self-sufficiency. Its effects on employment and earnings have been one focus of recent evaluations of federal programs. Although some Job Opportunities and Basic Skills programs produced…

A study aimed to provide education and welfare officials with information on the experiences of welfare/education programs as they had been implemented in five states. The states (California, Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin) represented a range of noteworthy approaches to providing education to welfare recipients, including some dramatic…

The Jobs for Florida's Graduates (JFG) program targets high school students and provides services to help these students graduate and to continue their education or find meaningful employment within one year of graduation. School managers and "job specialists" serve as mentors, identify at-risk high school students, and provide them with…

A study examined the views of business and industry on the Florida vocational and technical education system. Representatives from 284 Florida firms and 44 supervisors completed interviews based on two project-developed questionnaires. Sought in the questionnaires were employer perceptions concerning the following areas: awareness of vocational…

This "blueprint" was developed to provide educators in Florida with a unified vision of where career education is heading. It is designed to address the increasing gap between emerging job requirements and the ability of Florida's work force to meet them. It was developed to prepare students for the world of work, a competitive global…

This guide provides a rationale and a path for implementing a school-to-work initiative in Florida. The 10 sections of the publication cover the following topics: (1) definition of the school-to-work initiative; (2) why school-to-work is important now; (3) school-to-work and the demographics and job skill requirements of Florida's work force; (4)…