Between Utah's strong economic measures and numerous nationally recognized achievements (i.e. Best States Rankings, Top States for Business 2019, Utah Ranks Among the Fastest Growing States in the Nation), it is clear that the state's economy has experienced one of the strongest expansions in the country. As Utah's economy prospers, the need for…

In today's globally competitive economy, low-income students, students of color, opportunity youth, and adult learners need a postsecondary education and work-based learning opportunities to secure family-sustaining jobs and careers. Since the Great Recession, the economy has added 11.6 million jobs. Ninety-nine percent of them have gone to…

High-quality career and technical education (CTE) programs represent an effective way to provide young adults with an educational experience that prepares them for both college and career success. But not all CTE programs provide accessible pathways to a bounty of educational options without dead ends. To address the false dichotomy--college…

This article aims to present the lifelong education system of Chile from a functional and institutional point of view, in an attempt to describe its strategy. This paper covers both formal education and graduate studies, which were analyzed systematically from the institutional framework and experience of Chile. A comprehensive review of open…

It has become increasingly difficult to succeed in the U.S. workforce with only a high school diploma. While 75% of the middle-class workforce had only a high school education in the 1970s, that percentage dropped to below 40% by 2007. An estimated two-thirds of all jobs in 2020 will require some postsecondary training, up from just a quarter of…

USAID believes that education is a foundational driver of development and fundamental to achieving self-reliance. When children and youth go to school and receive training in skills they can use in the workforce and to navigate life, they are able to build more hopeful and prosperous futures for themselves, their families, communities, and…

The Wolf Report (2011) made clear that the proliferation of low-level vocational qualifications was in need of reform. It was thought that too many of these qualifications lacked substance, had little value in the jobs market and provided a weak platform for further development. Amongst the report's recommendations, which were largely accepted and…

The Higher Education Act (HEA) can promote connections to work by supporting linkages to career pathways that help youth and adults with barriers to employment obtain postsecondary credentials that lead to family-sustaining jobs with the potential for career advancement. HEA also has the potential to support partnerships between higher education,…

Workforce development in the United States today is spread across higher education institutions (primarily public two-year and for-profit colleges), labor market institutions, and workplaces, with public funding from a range of sources. But outcomes for students and workers are weaker than they could be, especially among disadvantaged students and…

The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training provides leadership and direction for post-secondary education and skills training across the province to help British Columbians succeed and reach their full potential. This 2022/23 service plan outlines how the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training will support the government's…

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the current status of workforce preparation in Washington; identify high employer demand occupations, as well as fields in which academic degree production is failing to keep pace with demand; and highlight occupation fields in which students may find expanding employment opportunities. This…

The context of this study was to examine factors contributing to significant workforce shortages in building trades in the United States. As it is, recruitment of qualified skilled trades workers is becoming increasingly difficult due to lack of a pipeline of prospective workers, and training programs. The study assumed a theoretical inquiry…

This multiple case study explored Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that were identified as having a focus on sustainability. Using the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (AASHE STARS) as a conceptual framework, the researchers interpreted…

During the early 2000s, state and local leaders developed career pathways programs in an effort to redesign education and workforce development systems to better meet the education and employment needs of low-income, educationally underprepared adults. These career pathways increase individual prosperity and regional competitiveness by aligning…

A significant workforce shortage exists in most skilled trades areas in the U.S., but this is especially true in building and construction trades. The number of jobs in the construction industry is expected to grow by almost 20% between 2008 to 2018, while only growing by 11% for all other industries. With the prospect of significant shortages in…