Governors are increasingly aware that the emerging economy will provide few well-paying jobs for workers who have not earned a postsecondary degree or a relevant workforce certificate. Fifty years ago, nearly 80 percent of all jobs required only a high school diploma or less and most paid a good wage. Fast-forward to data from 2013 and that number…

Organized labor in Oregon supports a high-skill, high-wage economic development strategy. The Oregon AFL-CIO Committee on Worker Education and Training has made policy recommendations that support this strategy. The Oregon AFL-CIO believes that fundamental reform of education is needed and recommends the following: emphasis on a high level of…

The following presentations are included in this document: "A Nation of Students" (Lamar Alexander); "Businesses Are Clamoring for Skilled Workers" (Betsy Brand); "We Need to Be Partners in Reality" (Roberts Jones); "The Value of a Working Parent as a Role Model" (JoAnne Barnhart); "Human Capital Is…

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…

Approximately 4,000 randomly selected Oregon employers were surveyed regarding their training practices and work organization. More than 43% of employers surveyed responded. Among the key survey findings were the following: most Oregon employers initially recruit locally; applicants for jobs in high performance organizations are often rejected…

In 1992, questionnaires regarding the training and work organization practices were mailed to a random sample of 4,000 Oregon employers, and focus groups were held with 100 Oregon managers/employers. The main findings from the completed questionnaires (43% response rate) were as follows: most Oregon employers do not plan for training or treat it…

This fact sheet states that in 2006, a good education is no longer just a way for an individual to get ahead. It is also the best way a state can get ahead -- and therefore a real economic priority. A state must ensure that all of its citizens have access to a college education. In Oregon, a state recovering from the 2000-03 recession, the demand…

The impact of one-stop career centers on the U.S. Employment Service (ES) program was examined through case studies of one-stop initiatives in the following states: Georgia; Ohio; California; Iowa; Oregon; Massachusetts; Texas; Utah; and Wisconsin. Of the nine case study states, only Georgia had not begun instituting a one-stop career center…

The extent of coordination and integration of welfare and work force development systems was examined in a study that involved site visits to 12 localities in 6 states. The following factors were found to promote coordination: a previous history of coordination; a strong local economy and low unemployment; access to technology; greater financial…

Surging demand for workers, growing income inequality, and passage of welfare reforms have made work force development one of the United States' key national concerns. Public/Private Ventures has been working with various states to design work force development strategies that seek to address the concerns of many work force development specialists…