Over 10% of residents in the District of Columbia (D.C.) are unemployed, and over 197,000 of D.C. residents are constrained by low levels of literacy and workforce skills. With such low-skills, stagnant workers--those with the lowest level of literacy, computer and employment skills--are living in a cycle of poverty and economic instability. Efforts to increase skill levels to meet the demands of the workforce have not been satisfied through the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand why workforce preparedness efforts funded by WIA are not yielding the desired results, and how best to address the workforce development needs of D.C.'s stagnant workers. Grounded in the skilled biased technical change theory, this study considered the shifts in production technology and the bias created towards those with high levels of skill. Collectively, survey, focus group, and literacy programmatic data were merged to assess WIA stakeholder attitudes and perceptions regarding the employment landscape, including literacy, technology, and workforce skills. An interpretive analysis of the qualitative data, coupled with a multivariate analysis of variance and one-way analysis of variance of the quantitative data, identified WIA stakeholder recommendations. A key finding demonstrates that stagnant workers require different types and modes of instruction. This dissertation was designed to assist in the development of future workforce programs, thereby contributing to positive social change by addressing the economic and workforce development needs of D.C. and its stagnant workers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]