It’s been a full year of research, reports and other publications exploring such CTE-relevant topics as career pathways, middle-skill jobs and the need for education and workforce data sharing. Here are a few interesting publications to close out 2014. Follow the links for further information:
- Based on Jobs for the Future’s research with community colleges and states, Policy Meets Pathways: A State Policy Agenda for Transformational Change encourages community colleges to move beyond pilot projects and ad hoc interventions to craft structured pathways that are fully embedded and aligned with each aspect of a student’s postsecondary experience, backed by comprehensive policies and increased capacity.
- Accenture, Burning Glass and Harvard Business School's Bridge the Gap: Rebuilding America's Middle Skills explores middle-skill jobs and career pathways, and encourages employers to take a leadership role in collaborating with education to prepare the workforce. A publication from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce also emphasizes the employer role in education and workforce development, proposing a “talent pipeline management” model with the employer as the end-use customer.
- A Bureau of Labor Statistics working paper demonstrates the positive employment and earnings outcomes from having an occupational license.
- According to a GAO analysis of a Data Quality Campaign (DQC) survey, Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) grantees and Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) grantees are more likely to be able to match data across education sectors than between education and workforce systems. In addition, only 6 of 31 grantees reported being able to match K-12 data to all seven workforce programs addressed by the DQC survey, including adult basic and secondary education and unemployment insurance (UI) wage records. Challenges include restrictions on using Social Security numbers.
- An OECD analysis of workforce development systems around the world found that, of the 35 OECD countries studied, U.S. employment and training systems are leaders in being adaptable to employer needs.
- According to the National Student Clearinghouse, overall postsecondary enrollment in fall 2014 fell by 1.3 percent from the previous year. The largest decrease was for two-year publication institutions, while enrollment increased at four-year public and private non-profit universities.
Comments