This report focuses on the 15 states of the West (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming), their ability to educate minorities, and the resulting impact on their workforces and economies. The foundation of the Western U.S. economy rests on…

The American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Plus 50 Initiative is a three-year initiative launched in June 2008 and funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. It was created to support a pilot group of two-year institutions to develop or expand campus programs that engage plus 50 learners. The initiative focuses on three types of…

This paper presents new evidence regarding the benefits of retraining prime-aged adults by analyzing the impacts of community college schooling on displaced workers in Washington State during the 1990s. The authors also conducted a similar analysis of a small program that provided community college courses to workers displaced from their jobs…

The State of Washington prides itself on having a relatively vibrant economy that centers on high technology businesses that depends on a relatively highly educated labor force. The state has been lavish in its support of higher education, and probably most citizens would agree that the state has a pretty good system of schools to serve the…

The knowledge, skills, and practices of early childhood care providers and teachers are critical factors in their delivery of high-quality developmental and educational experiences to young children. However, studies have found that the majority of professionals that make up the current early childhood workforce are not adequately prepared. Recent…

Community and technical colleges make their greatest contribution by growing a talented, skilled citizenry and creating opportunities for Washingtonians. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges is setting this System Direction to align college system efforts with the current and future needs for strong communities and a vibrant…

More than ever before, demographic changes in Washington combined with increasing workforce skill demands require an educated citizenry in the state. This paper describes a new initiative by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges aimed at measuring colleges and awarding funds to them for improvements in the significant…

To confront the growing proportion of disadvantaged children amidst the shrinking pool of future workers, Jule Sugarman (Washington State Secretary of Social and Health Services) has proposed a Children's Trust to fund existing and new programs for children. The program would be funded by a .3 percent payroll tax for both employers and employees.…

This report represents one facet of a larger statewide higher education needs assessment that was produced by the HECB in October 2005, also in response to HB 3103. In contrast to the larger statewide assessment, which examines employer, community and student demands for education and training at the baccalaureate level and above, the following…

In September 2006, the State Board approved a new System Direction to guide the two-year-college system for the next ten years. One of three primary goals for the system is to increase educational attainment for the economic development of the state and the economic well-being of Washingtonians. Since 2000, State Board staff has provided periodic…

This article features a "Triad" partnership of a group of Snohomish County organizations representing education, government and industry. Recognizing the need for a training and workforce development effort to address the aerospace manufacturing employers' needs, Triad views themselves as the pivotal cornerstone for deployment of complex…

Created in 1961 by the Washington State Legislature, the Youth Development and Conservation Corps (YDCC) affords youth and young men aged 14-21 employment opportunities in conservation programs that entail developing, improving, and maintaining natural and artificial recreation areas for the general public. It is designed to help young…

An illustration of a community at work, this documentary shows how work experience can be made relevant to career and educational goals. Reflects the feelings of staff and program operators about how effective manpower and educational agency linkages have been in fostering coordination and collaboration between the two institutions. (CT)

This document examines recent developments in strategic planning for employment, identifies key elements of strategic plans, examines issues to be addressed in implementing such plans, examines New Jersey's state plan in detail, and provides short sketches of the strategic plans for employment in six other states. Following an executive summary,…

The purpose of this survey was to assess the current supply of speech and hearing manpower, and to develop a profile of characteristics for these professionals in the state of Washington. A mail-back questionnaire containing both open-ended and structured questions was used to survey all the active and inactive speech and hearing professionals in…