In 2021, California committed to providing universal prekindergarten (UPK) for all 4-year-olds and income-eligible 3-year-olds by 2025-26. UPK includes several early learning programs, including transitional kindergarten (TK), the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), Head Start, and expanded learning opportunities to provide full-day early…

In 2021, California committed to providing universal prekindergarten (UPK) for all 4-year-olds and expanding access for income-eligible 3-year-olds by 2025-2026. California UPK includes several early learning programs, including transitional kindergarten (TK), the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), Head Start, and locally funded early…

Too many young people cycle in and out of prison, jails, and detention centers and face probation and parole conditions that keep them locked out of opportunity. These interactions with the criminal justice system demand the need for both equitable practices and programs that support second chances and large-scale investments in decarceration.…

This book explores the perspectives of experienced practitioners, sharing ideas about building and sustaining organizational strength through workforce development practices and systems. As the saying goes, a company's greatest resource is its people. When managers really believe that and work to develop organizational capabilities, productivity,…

The Attleboro (Massachusetts) Workplace Education Program, a partnership of four area companies and Bristol Community College, is intended to provide workers with education that will improve the quality of their lives and their work. Housed in a corporate office building in the Attleboro Industrial Park, the program offers classes in English as a…

This handbook describes the methodology of the Investing in People Project, conducted in Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Washington, and West Virginia to help states in assessing their current work force and economic development systems and in building more comprehensive, integrated, and effective strategies for improving the work force. The handbook…

A minicourse pilot project was designed by the Massachusetts Department of Education to meet the staff training and development needs of workplace educators in the National Workplace Literacy Program. During the course, various activities and group configurations were used to help teachers apply modeled approaches to their own teaching contexts,…

Focusing on the role of community colleges in implementing the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, the 12 essays in this volume describe strategies and practices developed by colleges to address the provisions of the Act and help develop a global workforce. The following articles are provided: "Assessing the Community College Role in…

This guide is designed to provide practical information for community leaders, local Workforce Investment Boards, Youth Councils, staff, and others committed to effective youth and workforce development. Its four sections provide technical assistance and training materials for Youth Councils. Chapter 1, "Planning the Menu," defines youth…

This guide focuses on these two key challenges that states and localities have identified as important for the long-term success of welfare reform and work force development efforts: helping low-income parents sustain employment (steady work) and advance in the work force (better jobs). The guide consists of five parts and is structured to…

This guide is intended to be used as a companion to "The Competitive Edge: Sharpening Your Skills in the Workplace" curricular materials--the student editions and instructors' guides. It can also stand alone as a reference for individuals just starting to implement or beginning to plan a workplace skills enhancement program in their organization.…

Intended as a forum for the discussion of customized workforce training at community colleges, this book addresses the practical considerations, programs, and strategies that come into play when colleges engage in customized contract training for fully-employed learners. The 10 chapters are as follows: (1) "Training for Customized Training:…

This document explains how to conduct programs similar to the Broward County, Florida, "Reach Out for Literacy" (ROL) project aimed at providing basic skills education for undereducated adults and adults with limited English proficiency. The introduction lists the objectives for the ROL program and reports the number of adults (689 at 17…

Originally designed to serve 400 employees, the Mott Community College (MCC) Workplace Literacy Project provided instruction in basic workplace skills to 566 employees from 20 companies. The cost was 2 percent lower than projected. All participants were assessed and counseled on the basis of the assessment tests. Individualized training plans were…

This booklet describes the success of tech prep under the federal school-to-work (STW) initiative and provides case studies showing how schools and businesses are using tech prep to create the world's best work force for the new millennium. The first section discusses the payoff from STW, and the second section describes tech prep. Section 3…