IT'S ALL ABOUT JOBS

Recently, National Journal asked for comments on the federal government’s $2 billion, four-year Community College and Career Training grants. “How important are grants like these for community colleges and other two-year schools to innovate?” National Journal asked us. I invite you to read the responses online. I began mine by saying that it’s important because there is precious little money out there for community college innovation, even as the demands and expectations placed on these institutions are rising. And it’s also important because this grant program gives colleges—individually and in consortia—an opportunity to rethink how best to prepare students for jobs in their local economies—jobs that are real, available, and accessible to those who master well-aligned coursework and training.

The momentum for improving postsecondary outcomes—in terms of credentials earned and measurable learning—is building, as it should in this time of scarce resources and high expectations for both accountability and the cost-effective use of public resources. What is exciting about this grant program is that it shines a light not just on degree completion and learning—which it should—but also on why people come back to school to learn and earn degrees: preparation for jobs that will significantly improve their income and career prospects.

—Marlene B. Seltzer, President and CEO, Jobs for the Future

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COLLEGE READY

KEEPING YOUTH IN SCHOOL: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

The United States uses vocational education mainly as a means of motivating uninterested students. In contrast, vocational education and training programs in countries with low dropout rates serve large numbers of students. These programs lead to jobs or further education and result in certificates that are trusted by employers and unions. JFF’s Nancy Hoffman examines the many uses and benefits of vocational education in the January issue of Phi Delta Kappan.

PUTTING OFF-TRACK YOUTH BACK ON TRACK TO COLLEGE

Also in the January Phi Delta Kappan, JFF’s Adria Steinberg and Lili Allen discuss Back on
Track designs for students who have disengaged from school or dropped out altogether.
The authors profile two schools that combine Back on Track designs with features of
the early college design, giving students more transparent on ramps to postsecondary
education and career credentials.

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CAREER ADVANCEMENT

ADVANCING HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN LONG-TERM CARE, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Improving Access and Quality: The Role of Frontline Staff at Behavioral and Mental Health Centers and Attracting and Retaining Talent: Frontline Workers in Long-Term Care are the latest in a series of briefs highlighting the experience of Jobs to Careers partners in training, certifying, and advancing frontline workers in specific subsectors of health care. This training, which combines traditional classroom instruction and work-based learning, meets the needs of low-skilled adults who are balancing work with their family lives, often on a tight budget.

The subsector series also includes briefs on hospitals and community health centers. Jobs to Careers is a $15.8 million initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with The Hitachi Foundation and the U.S. Department of Labor. JFF is the National Program Office.

THE BUSINESS VALUE OF WORK-BASED LEARNING

A new study from the Aspen Institute’s Workforce Strategies Initiative examines the
training model and its value to employees and the employer of the Jobs to Careers project conducted at Temple University Hospital-Episcopal Campus in Philadelphia. The project, which provided training to mental health workers, was designed and delivered by the District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund in partnership with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

WHEN UNTAPPED TALENT MEETS EMPLOYER NEED: THE BOSTON FOUNDATION’S ALLIED HEALTH STRATEGY

This report from The Boston Foundation details how its Allied Health Initiative helps entry-level and low-income hospital employees develop their skills, academic readiness, and certifications and to advance into critically needed allied health positions. This employer-led effort responds to a serious need expressed by leaders of Boston hospitals about current and anticipated shortages of allied health professionals. Designed and implemented with assistance from a number of partners, including JFF, the Allied Health Initiative provided assessment, counseling, and training services to more than 1,250 entry-level and low-income hospital employees in its the first three years.

THE NATIONAL FUND FOR WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS EXPANDS TO 30 COLLABORATIVES, ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIR

In February, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions announced grants to support innovative approaches to job training and career support in six cities: Atlanta, Georgia; Greenville, South Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; Louisville, Kentucky; Mobile, Alabama; and New Orleans, Louisiana. This brings the number of regional collaboratives supported by the National Fund to 30. The awards, totaling $1.8 million, are the second step in implementing a $7.7 million grant awarded to the National Fund and its implementation partner, JFF, through the federal government’s landmark Social Innovation Fund.

The expansion, noted Damian Thorman, national program director at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the new chair of the National Fund, “will allow us to broaden our effort to find the best ways to prepare jobseekers and workers for the positions that will emerge as the economy recovers.” In a recent interview, Thorman discussed his vision for the National Fund.

BUILDING REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY

There is growing evidence that the most effective way to grow the U.S. economy is to promote innovation at the regional level. In a new JFF report, Pete Carlson, Robert Holm, and Ray Uhalde take an in-depth look at the kinds of partnership structures regions are putting in place to grow their economies, where leadership for those efforts comes from, and how they are addressing workforce issues. The authors offer key lessons about what regions can do to put effective partnership structures in place.

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POLICY SOLUTIONS

BRIDGING THE EVIDENCE GAP IN DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION

In the fall 2010 issue of the Journal of Developmental Education, JFF’s Michael L. Collins addresses diverse perspectives on research in developmental education. He examines the rigor of research in the field to date and proposes a research agenda. Contact the Journal of Developmental Education to purchase copies of the issue.

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Jobs for the Future develops, implements, and promotes new education and workforce strategies that help communities, states, and the nation compete in a global economy. In 200 communities in 41 states, JFF improves the pathways leading from high school to college to family-sustaining careers.

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