In today's economy, a quality public education is the key to economic prosperity for young people. When Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau took office in 2009, there were 2,272 public school students who dropped out of school, and Montana had a dropout rate of five percent. For a state with a school population as small as Montana,…

This report provides a formative analysis of youth demographics and employment and training issues in the state of Arizona. The report clarifies issues of workforce supply and demand--as they pertain specifically to Arizona's youth--and explores the match between work force demand and training programs. It is based on information gathered and…

A project examined changes in the workplace and in employment in four states that were broadly representative of the United States--Colorado, Indiana, Mississippi, and Missouri. It identified common concerns and issues across the four states, including graduated awareness of the vast changes in the workplace, the ambivalence of business leaders'…

Three pieces of education legislation that the federal government enacted in 1994 are interlocking and designed to support a systemic approach to state and local educational improvement. The Goals 2000: Educate America Act, School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA), and Improving America's Schools Act (IASA) offer an opportunity to move from a…

This packet of materials was created to help literacy professionals, social agencies, volunteers, and media representatives promote literacy efforts in Michigan, especially during Literacy Action Month (September). The materials can be used to support literacy in the community, in democracy, in the family, and in economic development. Items…

The Washington State Job Skills Program (JSP) was established by the legislature in 1983 as an economic development incentive to provide customized, quick-start training to meet the employment needs of new or expanding businesses in the state. Funds are granted to public and private educational institutions to train people for new jobs, prepare…

An analysis conducted by the state of Washington showed that the new jobs of the future will require workers with skills acquired in technical areas, but not college degrees. The analysis suggests that the present educational system is not producing an adequate supply of such workers and that more nontraditional workers will have to be recruited…

Activities undertaken by 43 states including Maryland to promote technological innovation and economic growth and the impact of these activities are identified. Implications for Maryland are also noted in a brief section of recommendations. State initiatives include: sponsoring research and development at colleges and companies, improving the…

The California Employment Training Panel (ETP), which was designed as a performance-driven training program, pays agencies for training provided only if the trainee is placed and retained in a related job for 90 days. The labor market experience of ETP trainees was tracked from 1989-90, 1990-91, and 1991-92 to measure the impact of ETP training on…

Based on interviews with Community Development Corporation (CDC) personnel from many organizations conducted at 10 sites throughout the country, this report presents an overview of CDCs and employment training, supported by detailed case studies. The report is organized in six chapters on the following topics: employment training and the changing…

This document contains action plans for four states (Colorado, Indiana, Mississippi, and Missouri) involved in the Jobs for the Future program designed to enhance states' ability to handle economic change. The first section, "A Call to Action," discusses what Colorado's public and private sectors must consider doing to meet the…

A study obtained early information on the effects of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 on states' efforts to develop and implement effective systems of school-to-work transition. Systems in eight states were studied: California, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. State leaders understood the need…

The U.S. economy is undergoing a transition that may rival the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution. The general directions are clear: an ever smaller share of the nation's work force is employed in the manufacturing sector; service sector industries are the source of most new jobs; and some "high tech" industries have had explosive…

This report of an assessment of the hospitality/tourism industry in Kentucky begins with a history/description of the hospitality/tourism industry written from research; the hospitality/tourism training programs conducted by various institutions in the state are also described. For the assessment itself, two survey instruments were prepared and…

Jobs for the Future undertook a program designed to enhance the ability of four states--Colorado, Indiana, Mississippi, and Missouri--to manage economic change is described in this report. An analysis of what was happening in the state economies, especially the kinds of jobs that were being created, was carried out. The research portions of the…