This book describes a 10-state study of work force development efforts in Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. The book is organized in eight sections. Section 1 describes the overall visions and practices that states have created, examining the difficulties in implementing these visions in section 2. Section 3 analyzes the local-state relationships in the 10 states. Section 4 then details the roles of employers, whose participation is often seen as critical. Section 5 examines the special place of welfare "reform," which has been particularly mandating to state efforts to create coherent work force development programs. Section 6 summarizes the different meanings of coordination and system-building, presenting a hierarchy of coordination efforts as well as highlighting issues of quality. Section 7 clarifies the contradictions in state policies, pinpointing the special difficulties that have affected many states. Section 8 outlines the implications for state and federal policy, including a note on the likely effects of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. (Contains 79 references.) (KC)