Did you ever wonder if education has a role to play in stemming the obesity epidemic sweeping across all OECD countries? Or what the impact of increasing urbanisation might be on our schools, families, and communities? Or whether new technologies really are fundamentally changing the way our children think and learn? "Trends Shaping…

A landmark new study reported that upward mobility in the Keystone State since the late 1990s exceeded that in most parts of the United States. This report, focused on more recent trends, contains some bad economic news. It shows that Pennsylvania's economy has performed poorly from the perspective of typical working families since the end of…

Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with nearly 107,000 degree-seeking students and thousands more who are enrolled in certificate and other career-development programs. With almost 90 percent of students coming from Pennsylvania and the vast majority of graduates…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) State of the Union Preview: In Email to Supporters, Obama Highlights Economy and Jobs, Education, Deficit Reduction, and…

In 2006, it was determined that Maine's new community college system--off to a remarkably promising start--was already at a critical juncture: nearing or exceeding capacity in many of their most popular programs, straining facilities and the ability of staff to deliver high quality programs and services, and struggling to meet the demand of many…

In this article we analyse the role given to education and training by policy-makers in France and Britain from 1980 onwards, in relation to their overall chosen economic (and social) strategies, and highlight conjunctions between education, exchange-rate regimes, and the level of economic openness. Britain opted for a monetarist route against…

This report is the first product of the Community Service Society's Economic and Social Monitoring Unit which analyzes and forecasts the status of the poor in New York City (NYC). The report documents the following major findings: (1) nationwide, there are now fewer elderly and more minorities and women among the poor; the trends in New York City…

This paper assesses the youth employment situation from a policymaking perspective. The first of three main sections provides a largely statistical overview of the current youth labor market. The 1980s recession is said to be a depression for youth, especially minority youth. Increases in teenage unemployment are documented, and asserted to be the…

Characteristics that would tend to place Mexican immigrants in direct competition with native workers for jobs at the bottom of the wage and skill hierarchy are their numbers, their largely undocumented status, low education and skill levels, and poor English-speaking ability. Using regression analysis, 1980 Census data were analyzed to determine…

Historically, the roles of the public and private sectors in VET have been characterized by the following broad stages: (1) unstructured and unregulated VET; (2) supply-driven, state dominated VET; and (3) market-driven VET. More recently, the combined forces of globalization, technological change, and liberalization of markets have forced…

This report documents five objectives for the Canadian post-secondary education system: (1) quality; (2) access for all qualified applicants; (3) differentiation (diversity of educational opportunity); (4) accountability; and (5) responsiveness to changing student and labor market requirements. The report also discusses the changing political…

Prepared to help community college planners and policy makers identify likely future conditions and draw implications from that information, this report focuses on those statewide trends and policy directions considered important to the development of educational programs and services. Specific areas covered in the report are: (1) demographics,…

A systems approach to changing labor market performance requires a substantial and enduring commitment to the task of change. A systems reform framework has been developed that is based on a dual-customer approach, with a focus on improving labor market outcomes for both low-income people and their employers. The objective is to change the labor…

This monograph is designed to provide nontechnical users, including policymakers, program planners, curriculum developers, career counselors, and job development and placement specialists, with an introduction to applied labor market analysis of local conditions. Addressed in the individual chapters of the guide are the following topics: the…

A study examined the factors that influence lower-income women's career decision making and planning. The 24 women interviewed included African American, white, and Hispanic American women ages 20-60 years or older. The women were employed in a variety of industries. All were college graduates, and none earned more than $24,000 annually. Most…