ERIC Number: ED601984
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Oct
Pages: 48
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Scaling Workforce Development Programming in Baltimore. The Abell Report. Volume 32, No. 9
Dworak, Linda
Abell Foundation
Throughout Baltimore, men and women, from young adults to older workers, are seeking meaningful employment opportunities that offer family-sustaining wages and support personal well-being. Labor markets are tight, meaning that skilled workers are in great demand, and a unique prospect exists to open doors to quality jobs, particularly for those who have faced intractable barriers to such opportunity. This paper explores opportunities to scale up approaches to effective workforce development programming in Baltimore. This report highlights the opportunities and challenges for rapid scaling up of effective workforce development programs. It begins with a brief review of local and national evidence demonstrating that the industry-sector workforce development model is effective at assisting job seekers to prepare for and enter the workforce. Next, the report reviews the case for scale by looking at Baltimore's labor market from both the perspective of the program staff and a review of labor market data. Concurrent with national trends, the Baltimore region is experiencing strong employment figures. This report is organized as follows: (1) evidence of the effectiveness of an industry-sector workforce development model; (2) labor market opportunities for increased scale; (3) opportunities to reach underserved populations; (4) building organizational capacity for scale; (5) external systems as challenges to scale; (6) scale through collaboration, coordination, and career pathways; and (7) recommendations for action. Unattributed quotes from interviewees are interspersed throughout this report along with fuller program highlights that describe strategies and innovations developed by Baltimore's workforce development community.
Descriptors: Labor Force Development, Program Effectiveness, Job Skills, Employment Qualifications, Industry, Labor Market, Access to Education, Cooperation, Career Development, Equal Education, Program Development, Barriers, Educational Finance, Cooperative Planning, School Business Relationship, Transportation, Adult Basic Education, Criminals, Reentry Students, Equal Opportunities (Jobs)
Abell Foundation. 111 South Calvert Street Suite 2300, Baltimore, MD 21202. Tel: 410-545-1300; Fax: 410-539-6579; e-mail: abell@abell.org; Web site: http://www.abell.org
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Adult Basic Education; Adult Education; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Abell Foundation
Identifiers - Location: Maryland (Baltimore)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A