New York's workforce system is a complicated entity that engages nearly a dozen state agencies and myriad funding streams originating at the federal and state levels, and operates on the ground in ten economic development regions, 33 designated workforce investment areas, community-based organizations, labor unions and 62 counties. This report…

To provide equitable access to formal, nonformal and workplace learning, experts urge community, business, education and government partnerships. While membership in unions continues to decline and "opportunities for entry-level workers to become skilled workers is lessening," the partnership described in this article shows that it is…

Between 2005 and 2009, the number of foreign-born residents in New York State grew by nearly 5 percent, building on a consistent tide of new immigration to New York over the past quarter-century. This latest wave of immigration has brought significant benefits to the state. The new arrivals have replenished lost population in many communities,…

This study investigated a federal comprehensive community initiative, the Promise Neighborhood initiative, in order to understand higher education community engagement in an embedded context. Promise Neighborhood programs aim to create a place-based system of family and education services that can support youth from early childhood through college…

This newsletter, published five times a year, features articles on issues of concern to adult, family, and youth literacy practitioners, as well as recommended resources, announcements, and teaching strategies. This issue includes: (1) Pushing for Change (Jon Steinberg); (2) Putting the GED to Work (Jill Poklemba); (3) Community Education Pathways…

Demographic, technological, and economic changes are profoundly reshaping the ways in which employers do business, employ workers, and prepare people for the workplace. A population whose average age is increasing, combined with rapid changes in technology and the advent of global competition, challenge the country's long-term economic health. If…

From 1989 until 1998 the U.S. Department of Education administered the National Workplace Literacy Demonstration Program. During that period, over $130 million supported some 300 projects where adult education programs partnered with thousands of businesses, agencies, and organizations to provide work-based skills to employees. While only seven…

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. The following purposes summarize the work of the…

A challenge faced by the public sector is to keep pace with the rapidly changing management science and the technology that supports it. With a greater emphasis on career mobility, the public sector will be faced with an increased emphasis on the development and training needs of the work force. New York is making substantial progress in equipping…

This study aims to describe the governing operations of State University of New York (SUNY) community colleges in order to aid in the process of understanding what aspects of the U.S. model of community colleges are adaptable by international communities. The Institute for Community College Development (ICCD) is a SUNY and Cornell University…

In the 19th and 20th centuries, millions of people from every corner of the world shared one dream: to come to America and enjoy a better life for themselves and their children. Not only did they fulfill this dream, they made America--and New York in particular--an immeasurably better place in doing so. That dream remains, powerful as ever, and…

There is broad consensus about what kind of economy and society New Yorkers would like to see over the decades to come: plentiful and remunerative jobs, reinvigorated communities from New York City to Oswego, and a safety net strong enough to facilitate upward mobility but infused with the values of work and family. Unfortunately, indications are…

Issues confronting state agencies in planning for lifelong learning are reviewed. In considering the providers of education, attention is directed to relationships within formal education structures, as well as relationships between higher education and business/industry, professional associations and labor unions, and community organizations.…

This booklet contains descriptions of the approach of each state member of the Action Team on Lifelong Learning in meeting the challenge to prepare and upgrade the skills of the work force. Each one-page discussion is followed by the name, address, and telephone number of a contact person in the state. The reported approaches of 10 states…

A task force examined New York State's role in providing resources and information to employers desiring to upgrade the skills of their current workers. The following were the task force's 12 major findings: (1) upgrading the skills of New York's existing work force is vital to the state's economic future; (2) all workers need opportunities for…