Shifting Gears was launched in 2007 by the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based organization focused on improving the quality of life of citizens residing in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The primary goal of Shifting Gears is to increase the number of low-skilled, low-income Midwestern adults who obtain college-level occupational…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to analyse the conceptual approaches to competence and practice in competence management in France. Design/methodology/approach: Extensive literature review, discussion with academic experts in the French competence network of AGRH and interviews concerning developments following the 2003 national agreement…

It is hard to imagine a more critical time for helping the low-skilled and disenfranchised youth in our communities to become gainfully employed. Even as the nation suffers through its worst economic downturn in decades, America's business and industry leaders are predicting an unprecedented shortage of educated and skilled workers to meet the…

With the aging of the world's population comes the rising need for qualified direct long-term-care (DLTC) workers (i.e., those who provide personal care to frail and disabled older adults). Developed nations are increasingly turning to immigrant women to fill these needs. In this article, we examine the impact of three global trends--population…

This book analyzes and presents information from the 1980 Census of Population and Housing and offers state-by-state breakdowns of data on the disabled population. The 50 states and the District of Columbia are divided among 10 regions. Each state is described in terms of population size, proportions of the working-age population that are…

Asserts that productive education programs combine academic study with productive work. Discusses drop-out prevention and the difficulty of integrating academic study and vocational training. Concludes that there are many successful examples that can be used as models. (CFR)

This paper examines the pace of economic and social change in the Pacific Rim region, discussing the role that universities should play in mediating such change. It addresses five major issues pertaining to the role of universities: (1) the individual university's role in human resource development; (2) the relationship between universities and…

The different ways that colleges and universities can assume expanded responsibilities in national renewal are considered. After reviewing federal policy toward higher education, the American economy and competition from other countries are considered. The need for social and political renewal is also addressed, including the imperative for civic…

This document, which is part of a toolkit for policymakers, donors, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and practitioners, presents the results of case studies of a group of 30 workforce development programs that were selected (during a 2-day workshop by a panel of 14 experts) as representing a balance among geographic regions served and…

This document contains 14 papers on human resources (HR) and human resource management (HRM) in virtual organizations. The following papers are included: "Series Preface" (Rodger Griffeth); "Volume Preface" (Robert L. Heneman, David B. Greenberger); "The Virtual Organization: Definition, Description, and…

This book, which is intended for individuals involved in developing, delivering, and supporting human resource development (HRD) programs, discusses worldwide HRD trends that were identified in a study of the HRD practices in 35 countries. Chapter 1 discusses the importance of the HRD trends identified and explains how they were identified.…