Policymakers at the state and federal levels have expressed concern over the emerging "skills gap"--the mismatch between the job skills employers are looking for and the skills that applicants in the labor market possess. The skills gap is most acute for middle-skilled jobs; that is, jobs that require training beyond high school but less…

In July 2014, President Obama signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a major restructuring and modernization of U.S. workforce development programs originally created through the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), which had been awaiting reauthorization for more than a decade. This brief provides an overview of…

Emphasizing the intersection of policy and politics, this paper uses Theda Skocpol's polity-centered approach (1992) to analyze two key moments in the history of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program: (1) 1998, when the program's budget grew from $40 million to $200 million; and (2) 2003, when President Bush attempted to cut…

This bibliography summarizes recent research on the structure and effectiveness of workforce development programs. While the term "workforce development" can mean many things, this document focuses on programs to help low-skill, low-wage and displaced workers increase their employment and earnings, as well as labor market trends that…

To address the economic crisis facing the country, the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law on February 17, 2009. This sweeping legislation provides $789 billion to jumpstart the economy and boost employment. This act includes $463 billion in new spending and $326 billion in tax relief directed at those…

Proceedings are presented of hearings before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Employment, Poverty, and Migratory Labor of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources on the Youth Employment Act, 1980. The act is designed to provide an effective and efficient youth employment program designed to improve career opportunities for youth between the ages…

The document is a copy of Public Law 93-408 enacted by the 93rd Congress, September 3, 1974 to amend the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970 in order to expand and make permanent the Youth Conservation Corps. The amended provisions deal with policy and purposes of the Corps, and qualifications, equal opportunity, employment, and term of…

The Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 authorizes ACTION, an independent agency, to administer six volunteer programs including the three components under Title II, the Older Americans Volunteer Program (OAVP). The programs under OAVP--the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP), the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and the Senior Companion…

This paper presents the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on Job Corps to the Secretary of Labor pertaining to the review, development and implementation of policies, legislation and regulations for the Job Corps program. This document represents the culmination of an intensive and comprehensive nine-month process undertaken by the…

A study investigated how 22 Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) were implementing the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). In 19 SDAs the same organization was the grant recipient and administrative entity. A number of arrangements existed between the Private Industry Councils (PICs) and the SDAs. The most common pattern was for the PIC to play an…

The 1983 Federal fiscal year is a year of transition from the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) to the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 (JTPA). Unlike CETA, which included public service employment provisions, the entire thrust of JTPA is on training for unsubsidized employment. The purpose of the new law is to prepare youth and…

This report summarizes and synthesizes the programs, policies, research, and evaluations that serve or target youth. It examines the youth-serving activities and initiatives of nine federal agencies--the United States Departments of Health and Human Services; Education; Labor; Justice; Agriculture; Interior; Housing and Urban Development; Defense;…

This report concentrates on the overall state organization of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and on the implementation of Title IIA and III in the states as well as related implementation issues. The study is introduced in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 discusses the overall state organization of JTPA, addressing both formal and informal…

This volume reports findings of a field network study of how the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) was implemented in 20 states and 40 Service Delivery Areas (SDAs). Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 describes the changing organizational and programmatic dimensions of state-level JTPA activities. Variations in the roles played by the…

This congressional report contains the testimony that was given on the proposed Federal Voluntary Service Opportunities for Young People Act of 1987, which is an act to establish a commission to study federal voluntary service opportunities for youth, particularly a national youth service. Testimony was provided by representatives of the following…