Many states, including Ohio, intend to strengthen and grow their computer science (CS) and information technology (IT) workforces. Jobs in CS and IT are projected to grow in coming years, but it is not always clear how states can expand and diversify their CS and IT workforces. In this report, the authors leverage representative national and state…

The number of jobs in computer science (CS) and information technology (IT) is projected to grow rapidly in the United States over the next decade as the demand for workers expands and current CS and IT workers retire. Against the larger backdrop of growth in CS and IT employment and wages nationally, Ohio is looking for ways to grow and diversify…

Career and technical education (CTE), sometimes referred to as vocational education, provides occupational and non-occupational preparation at the secondary and postsecondary levels. CTE is a key element of the nation's workforce development system, providing students of all ages with both academic and technical skills to succeed in further…

"Return on Investment, What is the Value of the Associate Degree?" provides a checklist of high-impact practices that colleges can employ to support students on their journey to degree completion and potentially improved employment outcomes. Mark Schneider, vice president and institute fellow, American Institutes for Research (DC),…

Career and technical education (CTE) programs play a vital role in preparing high school students for life after graduation. The Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006 (Perkins) requires states that receive federal CTE funding to align secondary and postsecondary programs, so that students can transition seamlessly from a high school CTE program to a…

The third biennial outcome evaluation of the state of Washington's workforce development system analyzed the results of nine of the state's largest workforce development programs plus employer-provided training for participants who left programs from July 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998. For reporting results, the nine programs were grouped into three…

In the spring of 1984, the San Diego (California) Unified School District's Research Department initiated a five-year study of the district's 1984 senior high school graduates. The study documents graduates' transition from high school into young adulthood, beginning shortly after graduation. Focus is on: (1) providing information to district…

The aim of this report was to quantify the benefit, in terms of higher wages, of completing a vocational education and training (VET) qualification. Two factors influenced the direction of this research. First of all, VET is concerned primarily with improvements in skill levels (with a likely consequence of improved productivity and therefore…

Discusses legal and practical problems which prevent the full implementation of the concept of equal pay for jobs of comparable worth. Reviews legislative history of Title VII, the case of "County of Washington vs. Gunther," and other recent litigation, focusing on the impact of comparable worth on educational institutions. (IW)

A study examined postsecondary vocational education at Minnesota's area vocational-technical institutes (AVTIs). During the study, researchers evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of approximately 800 vocational programs offered by the AVTIs with respect to student and teacher ratios, program duplication, completion rates, placement rates,…

The Washington State welfare reform program WorkFirst is designed to move individuals from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) into the workforce. A critical question facing the program is how to assist participants in sustaining and advancing their employment. Three studies of those who exited the program measured multiple outcomes…

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;…

This publication is comprised of 12 position papers from the National Equity Workshop held at the University of Technology Sidney (Australia) at which participants summarized their positions on the way equity should be understood, their views on the strengths and weaknesses of current vocational education and training (VET) policy, and what they…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 led to an increase in the percentage of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients seeking more immediate employment and a decline in the percentage pursuing postsecondary education or degree programs. Since TANF's enactment, several legislative bills have…

Maine's Parents as Scholars (PaS) program provides parents who are eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) with cash assistance and support services while they attend a two-year or four-year postsecondary degree program. PaS participants receive the same cash benefits and access to support services as TANF recipients receive.…