The role and responsibility of postsecondary education in preparing California's workforce demand both a research-based examination and a comprehensive discussion that can bring education and workforce interests together at the state level. This policy brief and others to follow examine where and how the state's postsecondary systems fit into a plethora of programs that educate and train workers. The outcome will be policy recommendations that support postsecondary education in most effectively fulfilling its role in preparing a workforce to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy. Appended are: (1) Outline of Briefs in the Series; and (2) The Nexus Between Postsecondary Education and the Workforce--Major Actions.
The role and responsibility of postsecondary education in preparing California's workforce demand both a research-based examination and a comprehensive discussion that can bring education and workforce interests together at the state level. This policy brief and others to follow examine where and how the state's postsecondary systems fit into a plethora of programs that educate and train workers. The outcome will be policy recommendations that support postsecondary education in most effectively fulfilling its role in preparing a workforce to meet the challenges of a 21st century economy. (Contains 3 displays.).
The California Postsecondary Education Commission is currently producing a series of policy briefs examining the nexus between workforce development and postsecondary education. The research question "How does California's postsecondary education system contribute to the needs of the state's economy and its future?" will serve as the foundation for each of the briefs in the series. This first brief gives a historical context and summary of workforce development and education in California. It looks at California's education and workforce development systems from a historic and contemporary viewpoint and will focus on the role education has played in workforce development. Section one outlines the current workforce development system in California, including its components and a definition of key terms. Section two describes the changing role of K-12 education as California shifted from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy, then to one dominated by information and service industries. The last section highlights postsecondary education's role in workforce development with a brief summary of the 1960 Master Plan. Appended are: (1) Outline of Briefs in the Series; and (2) The Nexus between Postsecondary Education and the Workforce--Major Actions. (Contains 4 displays.).
This report continues the California Postsecondary Education Commission's ongoing examination of the nexus between postsecondary education and workforce development, focusing on the projected needs for skills and knowledge in a 21st century global economy. This is the second in a series of policy briefs developed for that project. The first brief provided an overview of the historical context surrounding the issue. This brief examines more deeply California's workforce needs in coming decades, and considers the skills that employers and economists see as vital to California's workforce. The next brief in the series will examine what the various segments in the postsecondary system are currently doing to address workforce needs. A fourth and final brief will draw the issues together and offer policy recommendations for state policymakers to help assure that our postsecondary education institutions are able to fulfill their respective roles in workforce development. The appendix contains: CPEC Employer's Survey for Postsecondary Education and Workforce Development Nexus Study, October 2006. (Contains 3 displays.).
This study focuses on the education, training, and ongoing professional development of early care and education (ECE) caregivers, teachers, and administrators who work with infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children from birth to kindergarten entry in California. It aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state's ECE workforce professional development system and a set of recommendations for improving the system's effectiveness.
Using details from California’s unique, diverse social and political history makes the potentially dry foundations course into a very personal and dynamic topic for students to wrap their minds around. The book is a critical analysis of the evolution of educational policies that frame teachers’ and students’ roles and responsibilities in the historical and contemporary context of public education and thoroughly covers topics such as school segregation; the political structure of the state; bilingual education, school funding, NCLB, school choice, how policies arise and how they are legislated. Perfect for courses such as: Educational Foundations | Social Foundations of Education | Introduction to Teaching Multicultural Education | Curriculum and Instruction
Workforce development represents a central priority in a comprehensive effort to create wealth, industry thickening, and broad-based prosperity. From the onset of the Great Recession in 2007, the Sacramento Region experienced anemic economic growth and remained behind the nation in job creation. Contextualized in the aftermath of the economic crisis (2007-2009), today there is need for those in postsecondary public education to have deeper understanding of emerging workforce development and training needs; ensuring that those jobs being strategically created by corporations and industry are being well supported by programs offered through community colleges. In this mixed-methods study, the researcher sought to capture a depiction of the current and future workforce needs across industry clusters that define the economy of the six county Sacramento Region in Northern California. Survey research collected data from senior leaders who were members of either the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce or Next Economy, the Region's collaborative economic revitalization initiative established in 2012. Comparisons were made between the primary industries representing the region's economic competitiveness: agriculture and food, advanced manufacturing, information and communications technology, life science and health services, clean energy technology, and other industries. Interviews with senior leaders from each cluster were conducted and analyzed to gain rich, descriptive insights into the identified needs. The synthesis of the survey and interview analysis led to three thematic findings: 1) technological competencies and applications in the workplace; 2) workforce trends during the Great Recession; and 3) workforce gaps. From the findings, three results were drawn which suggest that employers require greater technological and soft skills training from educators, economic volatility affects industry differently in terms of workforce dynamics, and employers view a baccalaureate degree as the minimum required for employability in professional occupations. The study concluded and recommended teaching digital applications through social processes, improving transfer pathways to universities, and developing a comprehensive education strategy to mirror the region's prosperity plan. Alliances between employers and community colleges vary among industry clusters; those engaged in reciprocal partnerships offer a model for others to emulate. By partnering with business, community colleges may help to advance economic development and position the region for sustainable growth.
Current economic difficulties and the challenge of competing in the world market have necessitated a rethinking of American approaches to the utilization of people in organizations. Management now recognizes a need to have workers take on more responsibility at the points of production, of sale, and of service rendered if the United States is to compete in rapidly changing world markets. This development means that much more is expected of even entry-level members of the American workforce. Thus, even more is expected of our high schools and colleges to provide this type of workforce. The need of American management for workers with greater skills and who can take on greater responsibility has spawned many commissions, task forces, and studies. All of them have contributed to the vast evidence documenting the need for a more highly skilled workforce. These studies are summarized and synthesized in this book. However, what remains largely undone is the development of methods to assess the necessary skills that have been identified. A major portion of this book deals with assessment issues. Workforce Readiness: Competencies and Assessment explores the state-of-the-art in the specification of competencies (skills) and their assessment for students entering the world of work from both high school and college. Both individual and team competencies are examined via data that has been reported and collected in various settings--schools, laboratories, and industrial facilities.
Although many individuals complete some college-level education, too few attain a degree. In California, there are nearly 20 million working-age adults of which 22%, or 4.5 million, have some college, but no degree (Lumina Foundation, 2010). Emerging data indicates that many of these individuals actually qualify for a degree or are within 15 credits of completing an academic program of study (Institute for Higher Education Policy, 2011a). The literature review confirmed that the focus on near completion is new in national policy conversations and also illustrated that California is not among the nine states focusing on near completion as part of statewide efforts to increase degree attainment. The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the state-level policy affecting degree completion at the associate and baccalaureate levels for the near completion population in California. To gain this understanding, I sought answers to the following research questions: (1) Are there state-level policies in California that specifically address near completion? (2) How do state-level policies help or hinder access and success for the near completion population? The research study confirmed that California's existing state-level policy in higher education, workforce development, and economic development is devoid of specific programs, initiatives, or regulations to move the near completion population toward degree completion. The policy audit demonstrated that policies affecting the near completion population are frequently the same policies identified as affecting college completion in general. Therefore, investing in cross cutting efforts to improve degree completion will benefit near completers and current students. The research also revealed that many leaders and key staff are unaware of the near completion population in California and near completion projects in other states. Two hundred seventy-two artifacts from 14 higher education, workforce development, and economic development entities in California0́9s executive branch of government were categorized into nine areas of an existing framework and then audited for impact to the near completion population. The following nine areas from the CAEL Adult Learning Policy Review Framework (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, 2008) were utilized in collecting and categorizing policy: governance, strategic plans, performance measures, state agency programs, postsecondary education programs, finance, student financial assistance, consumer information, and stakeholder involvement. The following six public policy priorities, adapted from Shulock and Moore's (2007) audit of California Community Colleges' finance policy, formed the policy audit criteria: access, completion, workforce, affordability, readiness, and efficiency. Nineteen interviews with state level policy leaders and key staff provided insight on the policy context and on specific policies. The research also confirmed that existing policy not targeted at near completion does indeed affect access and success for the near completion population. The study highlights specific policies in order to demonstrate that policy that supports, hinders, or works at cross purposes in moving the near completion population to degree completion. At the same time, since there are no specific efforts targeting near completion, there are also no state-level policies preventing efforts or services. A summary chart in Chapter 5 notes specific activities that higher education, workforce development, and economic development can do to improve access and success for the near completion population. These findings have important implications for policy, leaders, and support the use of data informed decision making. The findings shed light on the near completion phenomenon and how it is linked to umbrella policy regarding degree completion. The study's focus on near completers highlights the opportunity for some immediate success as part of a comprehensives completion agenda. The lack of data on the near completion population and near completion programs indicates the need for a coordinated data system. The importance of measurement supports the need for universal data and points to the urgency in reevaluating completion formulas and completion metrics. The lack of degree attainment goals points to a need for coordinated oversight and leadership across higher education, workforce development, and economic development. Near completers are closer to a college degree than incoming freshman and addressing the near completion population should be one part of increasing the overall degree attainment levels in California and across the nation.
