Human capital--the productive capacity that is embedded in people--is one of the most important contributors to the growth in nations' output and standard of living. Globalisation and technological change have increased the importance of human capital in recent years, to the point that there are now only two options to sustain high profits and…

Drawing from an analysis of more than 50 documents related to the need for technical education and training in Texas, and from interviews with 29 individuals knowledgeable about the state's technical education and training, this report assesses the current statewide capacity to to adequately train the workforce that is the expected requirement for…

Education is an important contributor to productivity growth and has a major influence on the standard of living of the U.S. population. Economic productivity depends on human as well as physical capital. This report is the first in a series of indicator reports recommended by the congressionally mandated Special Study Panel on Education…

In spring 1998, the Arizona Department of Commerce's Office of Workforce Development Policy commissioned a statewide opinion poll to assess public attitudes toward the state's plan for economic development, as it is being implemented through the Governor's Strategic Partnership for Economic Development (GSPED). More than 2,000 Arizonans…

National Education Goal 5 states that by the year 2000, every adult American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. To date, education reform has focused on international competition and the need for a skilled work force in…

The High Skills, Competitive Workforce Act of 1991 is proposed legislation designed to stimulate cooperation by business, labor, schools and colleges, and state and local governments to improve the education and training of the U.S. work force and to develop new systems and strategies for meeting the economic needs of business and workers. The act…

The growing gap between the skill requirements of jobs and workers' capabilities, the slow growth of the U.S. work force, and the demands of a global economy will reshape the work force in Ohio. To meet these challenges, the Governor's Human Resources Advisory Council proposes as its mission the achievement and maintenance of a high performance…

Kirkwood Community College's (KCC's) economic development efforts in Iowa provide a full-service, regional delivery system for customized job training, retraining, and economic development services and programs. The mission of Kirkwood Economic Development Services (KEDS) is to assist the region's business and industry in becoming more productive,…

To provide a common frame of reference, the Michigan Employability Skills Task Force created a working construct of employability skill categories. The draft framework extended beyond academic competence to include interpersonal, group, and adaptability skills. After task force discussions, the initial five skill categories were compressed into…

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…

Worker displacement is a priority human resource issue that must be resolved to improve economic productivity, to further revitalize the American economy, and to cope with growing international competition. The work force and work place of the 1980s are undergoing changes that could result in ever larger scale joblessness. These changes include…

The increasing links between technology and economic development have implications for higher education. Access to and equality of opportunity are frequently-stated missions of higher education that are perceived to be in the best interest of society's future vitality. As technological advancements increase and higher education attempts to fulfill…

Many California community colleges are accepting the challenge of their vital role in economic development through contract education (i.e., the process of entering into partnerships with business, government, and industry at the work site to assist employer training). Employer-based education and training is generally contracted in one of six…

Training systems are facing three basic considerations: (1) adjustment to demographic trends such as the population explosion in developing countries, the aging of the work force in developed countries, and the increased participation of women in economic activities; (2) changing patterns of demand, such as lower rates of growth, restructuring of…

A survey instrument, Higher Education Economic Development Survey (HEEDS), designed to measure research administrators' perception of current involvement of state universities and land grant institutions in economic development, was developed and validated. The instrument consists of 56 items concerning presently occurring and normative economic…