Economic downturns, like a global pandemic, magnify the need for timely, accurate, and complete data that policymakers need to make data-informed decisions that will help workers, businesses, and their communities recover. Good data helps to better understand what's working and what's not in terms of creating greater access to workforce…

Inmates in American prisons are undereducated and underemployed. Compared to adults in the US, prisoners are at least three times more likely to be without a high school or general educational development (GED) diploma and four times less likely to have a postsecondary degree. Studies have consistently found that unemployment rates for prisoners,…

This brief is the third in a series focusing on Employment First implementation as it relates to one of the seven elements within the High-Performing States in Integrated Employment model. It examines the background of circumstances under which Employment First efforts began in seven states, and introduces each state's values, mission, and goals…

This descriptive qualitative case study investigated the perceptions of dislocated workers offered program services through the Workforce Investment Act's (WIA) Dislocated Worker program in Minnesota. This research focused on recently dislocated workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own and hence were eligible for unemployment…

Few industries are as critical to the U.S. economy as transportation. Skilled automotive, railroad, and airline technicians shuttle the goods and people that drive every aspect of domestic and international commerce. The transportation sector offers some of the most exciting opportunities for workers to address critical issues of this time:…

Companies doing business internationally face the competitive challenges of a constantly changing operational environment. Employees need to update their international knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) frequently by attending training programs. A survey of Minnesota firms indicate that almost all companies are willing to cover the time and…

Domestic violence survivors encounter numerous barriers and few supports in pursuit of their vocational goals. There is a dearth of research, however, on the vocational supports and barriers salient for survivors. This study aims (a) to assess the psychometric properties of vocational supports and barriers measures with a racially and…

Annually, ACT provides a snapshot of the college and career readiness of ACT-tested high school graduates. This report is offered as a service to inform policymakers and practitioners about selected indicators of effectiveness and how that translates into readiness. It is designed to stimulate discussion, inquiry, and action. This report for the…

The study described in this document was conducted to identify the development and implementation issues surrounding the concept of integrating employer-specific education-for-work capabilities into Minnesota vocational education. The methodology of the study was as follows: (1) establish a small stakeholder group that represents constituencies…

Outlines some of the achievements of the Summer Program for Economically Disadvantaged Youth (SPEDY) during the summer of 1978. Four programs in Virginia, Minnesota, Texas, and Washington are examined not because they are exemplary but because they illustrate what is happening in some of the better youth employment programs around the country. (CT)

In the past, rural America often relied on Washington for policy responses to its challenges, but federal policy has been slow to adapt to the broad changes taking place in so many rural communities. New approaches to rural policy have taken root in some states. Georgia's OneGeorgia Authority will oversee a series of economic development programs…

In 1977 approximately 17% of Minnesota's population aged 16 and over (478,000 people) felt that they definitely needed more job-related training in the next year. Another 9% felt that they perhaps needed more training. Of those indicating training interest, 40% were interested enough to pay a non-refundable course fee; 85% were willing to read…

A symposium on community-based supported employment for developmentally disabled adults in Minnesota was attended by agency direct service staff who provide job training, executive directors and administrators of agencies, and personnel who refer clients to agencies providing supported work and other types of community-based training and…

This study sought to determine what, if any, local funding sources are available to rehabilitation service providers as supplements to fee-for-service funding for specific consumers. Chief executive officers at 20 community-based vocational rehabilitation organizations in Minnesota and Wisconsin were interviewed to determine organization financial…

A study of Minnesota's population, age 16 and over, to determine their self-perceived need for job-related training, is presented, along with a description of the conceptual framework, key questions, procedure, sample data, and major uses of the study. Also discusses limitations of the social demand approach to planning education for work. (CT)