Millions of adult Americans lack the basic literacy skills necessary to perform everyday tasks requiring basic reading and math. This stifles our economy, given that employers are increasingly likely to require education or training beyond high school. Organizations that provide job training to lower-skilled adults through Jobs for the Future's…

The greatest challenge we face in the next ten years is the challenge of making sure we have a qualified workforce able to meet the demands of living in a global economy. To do this we will need to expand the capacity of our workforce development and educational system to meet the training needs of business and industry. In order to assess the…

This report contains findings from a study to examine the impact of Pennsylvania's Customized Job Training (CJT) program upon clients (trainees), business/industry, local education agencies (LEAs), and local communities and the commonwealth. Chapter 1 details study purposes, design, and procedures. Chapter 2 presents a summary description of the…

A project assessed the impact of 21 vocational programs funded for displaced homemakers (DHs) in Pennsylvania during the three-year period 1979-80 through 1981-82. To determine whether the programs focused on priority solutions for the problems of the target population, a review of project proposals and final reports was conducted, and…

A COOPERATIVE COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM WAS INITIATED AND DEVELOPED IN THE MON-YOUGH REGION OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. TO CORRECT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC NEEDS THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE ADULT TRAINING, RETRAINING, AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECTS. THE MON-YOUGH COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE WAS FORMED THROUGH THE COOPERATIVE EFFORTS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE…

A multi-dimensional training program is being implemented in Pennsylvania to improve the quality of early childhood and child care programs. Training opportunities are provided for early childhood program and day care center staff, group and family home day care providers, and unregulated child care providers. The overall training plan is designed…

Three Pennsylvania universities focused on defining the functional role and identifying the training needs of work-based mentors for Pennsylvania's system of school-to-work transition, in order to design a training protocol. Interviews were conducted with 81 experienced employees concerning their view of the mentoring role and the activities that…

A project was conducted to prepare unemployed or underemployed adults to enter the work force by continuing and expanding an adult education and career enhancement program that embraces the National Education Goals and contains all the elements of a school-to-work model. Staff were recruited and trained, a curriculum integrating work-based and…

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center and the Mount Rogers Regional Adult Education Program (Virginia) cross-train and upgrade workers' skills to adapt to changing workplaces and keep companies and communities competitive; customize curriculum to meet employers' needs; and provide GED and other adult education programs. (SAS)

Eight feasibility studies, conducted since 1973, investigated the need for non-traditional approaches to two-year postsecondary education programs in areas of Pennsylvania not served by locally sponsored community colleges. The proposed institutions were modeled on a concept of "colleges without walls." This concept involves (1) using…

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…

This report is a primer on the multifaceted issues that state legislators are likely to confront under the rubric of human resource development. Chapter 1 proposes a philosophy: enabling every citizen to become a productive member of the 21st century economy is in a state's best interest both socially and fiscally. Chapter 2 focuses on the premium…

This annual report is designed to provide information about the New Options program and to highlight recent program initiatives and accomplishments. It begins by describing the program, which assists middle and senior high school students, postsecondary students, and adults in exploring job opportunities traditionally held by the opposite sex. The…

A study used a unique data set to evaluate the effect of Targeted Jobs Tax Credit (TJTC) on the labor market outcomes of program participants--more than 29,000 individuals for whom Pennsylvania businesses sought tax credits during 1988-94 (final sample was 17,388). Firm-level data were combined with wage data obtained from administrative quarterly…

In order to ascertain the educational needs of Central Pennsylvania residents, samples of three populations were surveyed: high school students, the adult population, and employers. A stratified random sample of approximately 530 public high school students in each of grades 10, 11, and 12, the entire enrollment of two Area Vocational Technical…