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In this edition, we feature the Workforce Competitiveness Collection, which covers Workforce Education, English Language Acquisition, and Technology. Each month, Collections News features one of the three LINCS Resource Collections - Basic Skills, Program Management, and Workforce Competitiveness - and introduces research-based resources that you can use in your adult basic education and family literacy programs and classrooms.

Masschusetts Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled a plan to unify the state's 15 community colleges and give the board of higher education more oversight of the campuses. The plan also intends to strengthen the role of community colleges in workforce development.

This guidebook is a result of partnerships between numerous companies, literacy agencies, and trade associations involved with manufacturing and exports in Canada. The guidebook is divided into two sections. Literacy & Essential Skills in Business provides information and facts about Canada's efforts to improve literacy and essential skills in the workplace. The second section is a workbook providing tools for workplace assessments, checklists and usable templates to initiate a workplace literacy program. There is also a very useful appendix with additional resources.

The Joyce Foundation initiative is designed to help the workforce in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin develop skills and credentials essential for twenty-first century jobs. These states are re-engineering adult education, workforce development and postsecondary education policies to support economic growth and expand job opportunities for low-skilled workers in the Midwest.

Shifting Gears web site funded by the Joyce Foundation. Initiative funded to help 6 midwestern states address how to increase worker skills and certificate and degree completion in postsecondary ed.

This research paper from the McGraw-Hill Research Foundation's paper, The Return on Investment (ROI) from Adult Education and Training contends that billions of dollars could be earned, saved and pumped back into the struggling economy as a result in investments in effective and efficient workforce development programs.

This is the first year report of a three year longitudinal study by the American Council on Education to understand the effects of obtaining the GED on postsecondary enrollment, persistence, and completion. This study supports transitioning adult learners without a high school diploma to the GED credential and into postsecondary with accelerated learning. This first year study used the information gathered at the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). The NSC holds 93 percent of postsecondary student enrollment. The study focused on adults who acquired the GED credential in 2003. The pilot study founded credential recipients had a significantly higher enrollment rate into postsecondary than non-passers; females enrolled more than males; there is no significant ethnic difference between enrollees and non-enrollees.

The Undereducated American is a report from the Center on Education and the Worforce that highlights how America has not been producing enough highly skilled college-educated persons for the workforce.

Under the LA Grad Act, four-year institutions agree to achieve certain standards in exchange for authority to increase tuition. The performance objectives are aimed at improving college completion and meeting the state's workforce and economic development needs. One performance objective - efficiency and accountability - requires four-year institutions that enter into agreements to eliminate remedial education course offerings and developmental study programs unless such courses or programs cannot be offered at a community college in the same geographic area.

The newspaper article from the Albany Times Union details the efforts of the State Assembly's Committee on Higher Education. The committee has reviewed college readiness and completion data from SUNY institutions. The committee drew a link between underprepared students and its influence on the workforce and state's economic viability.

Summarizes the objectives of and lessons learned from Washington's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program. The program pairs English as a second language (ESL)/adult basic education (ABE) instructors and professional-technical instructors in the classroom to concurrently provide students with literacy education and workforce skills. (Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, December 2005)

"The work of the CAI is part of the Missouri Department of Higher Education strategy to increase participation in higher education and to smooth pathways for students entering into and progressing in higher education. The goal of this work is to improve the college readiness of high school students throughout Missouri. CAI is also driven by the work of the Mathematics, Engineering, Technology, and Science (METS) Coalition, as well as the P-20 Council and the Director of Education and Workforce Innovation. "

The Center for Workforce and Education is directed by Anthony Carnevale. The Center is focused on federal and state policies that better leverage state education investments to meet economic development goals.

Details the work of the Voluntary Framework of Accountability, which has rolled out its Stage One pilot measures for college readiness and workforce, economic and community development measures.

Analysis of ACT and 10th-grade CSAP scores shows that students needing remediation in their first year of college could have been identified by an examination of assessment results as early as 6th grade. The Colorado departments of K-12 and higher education jointly developed a description of postsecondary and workforce readiness. (Colorado Department of Education and Colorado Department of Higher Education, March 2011)

The pdf download of the report from the McGraw-Hill Research Foundation.

"This article provides a rationale for incorporating the development of critical thinking skills into the online learning environment. The author also presents possibilities for building these cognitive skills into online classes. She maintains that incorporating critical thinking skills is a necessary component of learning; these skills assist learners to evaluate and link the abundance of information and ideas that is available via information communication technologies (ICTs). "

This brief addresses the current and projected need for skilled workers and the skills immigrants will need to be able to take these positions. These skills are based in academic and higher level thinking skills. The authors provide the rationale and research underlying the need to incorporate these skills into ESL classes, regardless of the level or purpose of the courses (e.g., beginning, life skills). These skills will assist them in transitioning to postsecondary work training, academic settings, or navigating life in general. They address the following skills as being essential to incorporate into the classroom: reading and listening, note taking and organizing information, and critical thinking.

Joyce Foundation approach to systems change for state policy for ensuring that state postecondary, adult basic education, skills, and credentials needed to advance and succeed in our changing economy. Their approach: uses data to foster improvements;pursues policy changes to leverage improvements; engages the field to generate ideas for buy-in; and builds strategic communications to cultivate skakeholder support for systemic change.

adults without basic reading or math skills return to school for basic skills in KY. Programs teach job skills and workplace vocabulary and encourages dual enrollment in ABE and community college.

Survey sent to business leaders by the Tennessee Business Roundtable on Complete College Tennessee Act