Working in the middle : strengthening education and training for the mid-skilled labor force / W. Norton Grubb.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Grubb, W. Norton.

Series:

Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series

The Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Vocational education--United States.

Vocational education.

United States.

Occupational training--United States.

Occupational training.

Technical education--United States.

Technical education.

Labor market--United States.

Labor market.

Education--Economic aspects--United States.

Education.

Education--Economic aspects.

Education, Cooperative--United States.

Education, Cooperative.

Physical Description:

xxxii, 304 pages ; 24 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

San Francisco : Jossey-Bass Inc., [1996]

Summary:

Sixty percent of America's workers have at least a high school diploma but lack a baccalaureate degree. Working in the Middle is the first book to offer a comprehensive view of the education and training of this growing mid-skilled labor force. Based on both statistical research and interviews with students, educators, and employers, this important resource offers a thorough examination of "workers in the middle", focusing on workers' characteristics, the types of work they perform, how they prepared for and obtained their positions, and what further skills they need to develop. W. Norton Grubb stresses the advantages realized by both employers and local educational institutions such as community colleges when they join forces to meet the needs of mid-skilled workers. He examines a variety of methods - including advisory committees, placement offices, placement by occupational instructors, student follow-up and tracking mechanisms, and co-op education - that can bring employers and educators together. Working in the Middle is filled with illustrative case studies that demonstrate the powerful advantages of such exemplary practices as integration of academic and occupational education, remedial education within occupational programs, and co-op programs. Grubb also shows how unproductive short term training programs can be redesigned to lead to effective longer term education, using community colleges as vital links between current training programs and the education system.

Contents:

Distinctive characteristics of the mid-skilled labor market

Educational pathways into the mid-skilled labor market

Economic perspectives on educational preparation

Creating a unified "system" of workforce preparation

Integrating occupational, academic, and remedial instruction

Enhancing connections between educational institutions and employers

Rethinking public policies toward occupational preparation

Future trends and needs of workers in the middle.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 275-291) and index.

ISBN:

0787902586

OCLC:

34243010