India's informal economy accounts for more than half the country's GDP but is characterised by low levels of skills, and considerable barriers to skills development for workers. The Government of India has implemented ambitious policy initiatives for upskilling, designed to catalyse 'formalisation' of the economy, and improve productivity.…

The SDGs mark the clearest global acceptance yet that the previous approach to development was unsustainable. In VET, UNESCO has responded by developing a clear account of how a transformed VET must be part of a transformative approach to development. It argues that credible, comprehensive skills systems can be built that can support individuals,…

Paraeducators perform multiple roles in U.S. classrooms, including among others preparing classroom activities, working with students individually and in small groups, supporting individualized programming for students with disabilities, managing classroom behavior, and engaging with parents and communities. Yet, little research provides insights…

Through discourse analysis the research will unearth the tension between the Theories of Human Capital (HCT) and the Work First Policy (WFP), Policies Informing Education (PIE), and Human Capital Development (HCD) as they relate to the labor market. The application of discourse analysis demonstrates how the tenants of HCT are missing components…

A large and persistent association between education and health has been well-documented in many countries and time periods and for a wide variety of health measures. In their paper, "Education and Health: Evaluating Theories and Evidence," presented at the National Poverty Center conference "The Health Effects of Non-Health Policy," David M.…

Reviews current research on the incidence and duration of child poverty and intergenerational poverty. Trends in the incidence of child poverty, the demographic characteristics of children, and labor market conditions are discussed, along with a summary of research that relates changes in children's demographic conditions and the economy to child…

Reviews two recent publications about the revival of rural population growth through net migration into nonmetropolitan areas, focusing on nonmetro population changes, age, educational attainment, labor force participation, occupational and industrial changes, income changes, and housing. Lists 34 relevant publications addressing general…

This review attempts to consider all publicly available studies that examine employment outcomes for people who have left welfare. Only studies that describe their methodology clearly and report survey response rates of 50% or higher are included, for a total of 11 studies reviewed. These studies cover various geographic areas, labor market…

The literature suggests that growth of rural industries in developing nations indicates rural poverty and lack of farm employment rather than rural development. A survey of 115 small producers of various goods in rural West Java (Indonesia) confirms that most are poor, have little education, and undertake production for survival reasons. Contains…

Data from the 1980 and 1990 Current Population Survey files show an increasing proportion of female householder families and increasing poverty rates among Hispanic females in Texas, despite increases in labor force participation rates, hours spent in paid labor, and levels of education. Results refute human-capital and cultural-context…

Reviews child poverty in the United States. Child poverty rates have been high since the 1970s, and it is expected that one-third of all children will be poor at some time. African American and Latino children and children in mother-only families are disproportionately poor. Both family structure and the labor market are implicated in child…

Presents poverty statistics from the report of the Rural Sociological Society's Task Force on Persistent Rural Poverty. Discusses who the rural poor are, recaps the history of government policies affecting rural poverty, and touches upon 10 theories that attempt social, economic, and educational explanations of why poverty is so persistent in…

During the 1980s, the rise of independent farm labor contractors and Republican labor policies led to a deterioration in the economic well-being of farmworkers and their families. Delays in the implementation of new safeguards under the Worker Protection Standards Act have resulted in continuing exposure to pesticides, causing such exposure to…

This study tests the hypothesis that the local labor market structure, particularly the proportions of high- and low-paying occupations, affects human capital investment. Most studies have assumed that the direction of causation flows from the supply of human capital to employment growth. However, the creation of low-skilled jobs merely reshuffles…

Considers human capital and economic organization perspectives in the analysis of patterns of employment and poverty among American Indians and Whites in Rosebud County, Montana. Uses an "embeddedness" approach involving ethnographic data and recent analyses of schooling to illuminate the role of local cultural knowledge and social…