Presents results of a 1981 survey of 2,554 household heads in low income counties in 10 southern states. Finds lack of job opportunities, not knowing the right people, not having enough training or education, not knowing where to look for jobs, and discrimination to be major problems perceived by respondents. (LFL)

This book presents results of a major study of the policies and programs that affect whether people with disabilities take part in the Canadian labor force. It concludes that people with disabilities are excluded, not primarily because of their disability nor its severity, but rather because of barriers resulting from public policy and program…

In May 2006, the National Poverty Center (NPC) at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan hosted a meeting--"Research on Prisoner Reentry: What Do We Know and What Do We Want to Know?"--to discuss the state of research on employment-focused prisoner reentry programs. This paper, written as background for…

Recent studies of rural manufacturing employment have presented conflicting evidence about the relationship between human capital and local economic development at a time when competing claims for local investment funds could potentially undermine support for public education. The purpose of this paper is to: (1) develop the conceptual linkage…

The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities brought together a total of 61 educators, employers, helping professionals, people with learning disabilities, family members, and government policy leaders in a conference designed to identify issues and develop a strategic plan to improve employment opportunities for people with…

The subject of this hearing was the partnership between the District of Columbia's public schools and several private companies. This partnership resulted in the establishment of a school curriculum giving high school students exposure to specific career training and also orientation to the workplace. The training was in the fields of…

This Resources for Welfare Decisions highlights publications that offer guidance on developing youth systems under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). An introductory section discusses the changes WIA made to youth services; the opportunities and challenges these changes created for Youth Councils and youth service providers; states' role…

This report, part of a series on the employment and training needs of Hispanics in Michigan, is comprised of three papers. The first is an analysis of Michigan State data obtained from the 1980 census. The data indicate that: (1) Hispanics represent about 2 percent of Michigan's total population; (2) about 70 percent of these Hispanics are of…

This study examined postschool vocational options for people with disabilities in New South Wales (Australia), by means of a survey and interviews with representatives of government agencies, tertiary education facilities, and unions and employer organizations. Results indicated a lack of vocational facilities for young people with severe…

This final report details the activities of a project called VECTOR (Vocational Education, Community Transition, Occupational Relations). VECTOR sought to increase the employability of severely to mildly mentally handicapped students (aged 18-21) in transition from school to work in the greater Minneapolis, Minnesota, area. VECTOR's objectives…

The Digital Economic Opportunity Committee (DEOC) was established to examine the information technology (IT) skills gap and make recommendations to eliminate this gap. DEOC believed the appropriate response to this skills gap is two-fold. The first was upgrading existing workers skills through training. The second was expanding the number of…

The federal policy shift from skills training and toward work first strategies has come about, in part, from a misconception that "training does not work." A more comprehensive look at existing research reveals the documented effectiveness of skills training. A growing number of studies have shown skills training can increase earnings;…

Although young people across the United States have suffered disproportionately in the recent recession, the economic and social effects of high levels of youth unemployment have received only scant media and political attention and few state or federal dollars. Analyses of successful youth and young adult programs identified seven core principles…

Research was conducted to find out the following: (1) whether welfare recipients with impairments (or their able-bodied parents, if they are children) were as likely to exit Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as are their counterparts without impairments, and 2) the sources of income reported by leavers with and without impairments.…

In 1999, the Committee on Lifelong Learning of the Ministry of Learning in Alberta, Canada, conducted a series of consultations on lifelong learning to identify ways of helping adults return to learning to improve their employment potential and realize their career goals. The committee received input from more than 450 Albertans in 14 rural and…