Workplace Literacy Discussion Members,

You've had a long vacation from the Thursday Resources, and I've cleaned
off my desk with this post!  I hope you will not feel overwhelmed, but
will just look them over as you have time.  Now that the summer is
drawing to a close, I'll be better able to keep up with them and will
try not to present so many opportunities at once in future posts.  Good
reading!

Donna

Donna Brian
Moderator, LINCS Workplace Literacy Discussion List
Off-list contact djgbrian at utk.edu 

To post a message:
workplace at nifl.gov 

To subscribe/unsubscribe/change options/access archives:
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/workplace 

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>From Youth Development Institute (YDI) http://www.ydinstitute.org/  

"Building A Better Bridge: Helping Young Adults Enter and Succeed in
College"
	Without some form of postsecondary education, young people who
leave high school without a diploma -- 40 percent or more in some school
districts -- are at great disadvantage in their efforts to become
self-sufficient. In "Building A Better Bridge: Helping Young Adults
Enter and Succeed in College," Peter Kleinbard, executive director of
the Youth Development Institute in New York City, describes a model for
college access and completion for students who have become marginalized
in school or obtained only a General Education Diploma. The report
profiles the New York City Partnership for College Access and Success, a
pilot effort in which 50 youths who left high school have enrolled in
degree programs at New York City College of Technology, part of the City
University of New York. 
http://www.ydinstitute.org/resources/publications/BuildingaBetterBridge(
YouthDevelopmentInstitute).pdf  

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>From Achieve  http://www.achieve.org/ 


"Out of Many, One: Toward Rigorous Common Core Standards From the Ground
Up"
	The efforts by individual state to set college- and career-ready
standards for high school graduates have actually led to a remarkable
degree of consistency in English and mathematics requirements. This
"common core" - detailed in "Out of Many, One: Toward Rigorous Common
Core Standards from the Ground Up" - is the byproduct of aligning
standards to real-world demands. The leadership role that the report
shows states have displayed
in setting common English and math standards has implications for the
role of the federal government in education policymaking and has the
potential to change the way education issues are viewed at the state and
national levels. (July 2008)
http://www.achieve.org/files/CommonCore.pdf  

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>From NCVER (National Centre for Vocational Education Research,

Australia) http://www.ncver.edu.au/ 

"Matching supply and demand for skills: International perspectives"
	The aim of this research was to identify approaches used by a
select number of overseas countries-the United Kingdom, China,
Singapore, Norway and Germany-in their attempts to match the supply of
skills with current and projected skill needs. The study focuses on the
mechanisms used by, or on behalf of, governments to influence the formal
and informal processes and outcomes of skills formation. This includes
the management and direction of VET systems, financing and other levers
that influence the type, amount and location of training and other
skills-formation processes. The research found that countries use a
mixture of three types of strategies to attempt to align the supply of
skills with current and future needs: state regulated; regulated through
agreements between the social partners, that is, industry, unions and
government; and market regulation.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr04022_pubs/nr04022_7.pdf

"The professional development requirements of Workplace English Language
and Literacy Programme practitioners"
	This report examines the extent and nature of professional
development required to meet the current and future needs of Workplace
English Language and Literacy Programme practitioners. While the working
environment for such practitioners is becoming more complex, with
greater demands on them to have industry knowledge and project
management skills, the report finds that engagement in professional
development activities is declining. Barriers preventing the recruitment
of new practitioners are explored and possible strategies to support
renewal of the profession are proposed, including the need for a
national minimum standard to be adopted, such as the Advanced Diploma of
Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice in VET.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr4L03.pdf 

"Approaches to measuring and understanding employer training
expenditure"
	Through an analysis of major surveys, as well as interviews and
case studies with firms in four industries - construction, retail trade,
manufacturing and health and community services, this research brings us
closer to an understanding of the factors that influence training
expenditure. The research shows that survey data needs to be
complemented with a program of research in a number of industries to
provide a richer understanding of the drivers of employer expenditure
and practices.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr05009.pdf 

"Private returns to vocational education and training qualifications"
	This report summarises the costs and benefits of studying for a
VET qualification. It finds that generally students have an adequate
economic incentive to enrol in VET. The best returns were for students
who study higher-level qualifications (certificate III upwards), and do
so part-time.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr06008.pdf

"Changing forms of employment and their implications for the development
of skills"
	Employment options have altered dramatically over the past 15
years, with full-time and permanent employment no longer the 'standard'.
This report examines changes in employment modes for various groups of
workers and its effect on the level and extent of skills development.
The report finds that there is reduced support for training by employers
as a result of the changing employment patterns, and this means that
skills development will increasingly need to be funded by workers
themselves and the taxpayer through the public vocational education and
training system.
http://www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr04022_pubs/nr04022_1.pdf

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>From the Lumina Foundation  http://www.luminafoundation.org/ 


"Building Tomorrow's Workforce: Promoting the Education & Advancement of
Hispanic Immigrant Workers in America"
	Over 50% of Hispanic immigrants have less than a high school
education, and like other low-skilled working adults, they face a host
of barriers if they want to earn the credentials they need to compete in
today's labor market. This report presents promising employer/community
college partnerships that expand access to higher education and benefit
low-skilled, immigrant Hispanic adults.
http://www.nam.org/s_nam/bin.asp?CID=86&DID=240524&DOC=FILE.PDF

"Returning to Learning: Adults' Success in College is Key to America's
Future"
	Read findings by the Emerging Pathways project, discussing the
need to develop the untapped potential of the 54 million working adults
who have not completed a four-year degree.
http://www.luminafoundation.org/publications/ReturntolearningApril2007.p
df


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>From the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) http://www.epi.org


"A Plan to Revive the American Economy"
	With grim economic news coming from many directions, it's easy
to get discouraged about our ability to repair the damage of years of
failed economic policies. And yet, there are pragmatic solutions to our
biggest challenges, including ways to restore health care and retirement
security, to create family-supporting jobs, and to reestablish a
leadership role in the global economy. Collaborating with some of the
nation's top progressive thinkers, EPI researchers have been exploring
and refining solutions for the better part of two years.
http://www.epi.org/policy/revive/epi_plan_to_revive_the_american_economy
.pdf


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>From the Brookings Institute  http://www.brookings.edu


"A Hand Up: A Strategy to Reward Work, Expand Opportunity, and Reduce
Poverty"
	Poverty remains a pressing problem in the United States. Many of
the 36 million Americans in poverty are working, but full-time work at
the minimum wage does not provide enough income to escape poverty. This
paper offers a three-part strategy to reduce poverty and strengthen
growth across the income spectrum. First, the most effective antipoverty
policy is to help people find a job that pays enough to support a
family. This paper's principal focus is on programs to reward and
facilitate work. Second, a broader set of policies is necessary to
prepare people to succeed, by investing in human capital and other
critical needs. Finally, public policies should provide a more robust
safety net and a set of social insurance policies to help people rebound
if they do experience economic hardship, and reduce the likelihood of
their falling below a certain economic level at any point. Together,
these policies can raise the living standards of struggling families and
allow everyone to share in our nation's prosperity.
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2007/12_rewardwork_furm
an/12_rewardwork_furman.pdf

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>From the Center for American Progress  http://www.americanprogress.org


"From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half"
	The Center for American Progress last year convened a diverse
group of national experts and leaders to examine the causes and
consequences of poverty in America and make recommendations for national
action. In this report, our Task Force on Poverty calls for a national
goal of cutting poverty in half in the next 10 years and proposes a
strategy to reach the goal.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/04/pdf/poverty_report.pdf

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>From the United States Conference of Mayors  http://usmayors.org/ 


"Repairing the Economic Ladder: A Transformative Investment Strategy to
Reduce Poverty and Expand America's Middle Class"
	To better address problems of persistent poverty and middle
class erosion, mayors believe that this country must forge a common
national strategy. To help develop this strategy, and reawaken the
national conversation about these issues, the US Conference of Mayors
created a Mayor's Taskforce on Poverty, Work and Opportunity in January
2006 and appointed Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as its chair.
Under his direction over the succeeding 12 months, the taskforce set to
work creating a bipartisan action plan that sought to integrate federal,
state and local strategies, while leveraging maximum business,
philanthropic, and individual participation. The taskforce's
recommendations reflect the mayors' consensus about the need for an
action plan that is as pragmatic as it is bold, and that, above all
else, is driven by data and guided by best practice.
http://usmayors.org/chhs/VillaraigosaPovertyReport07.pdf

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Brought to our attention by The New Zealand Centre for Workforce
Literacy Development http://www.workbase.org.nz 

"Workplace Tools Library"
	The Tools Library is a set of workplace specific tools designed
to assess whether an individual has a literacy or numeracy need.  A
Smart Move Skills Check screening tool and initial assessment tool are
provided for most contexts.  These tools are designed to indicate the
approximate skills level of an individual in relation to the UK's
National.  A range of guidance documents are provided for tutors
including advice on good practice in assessment.
http://www.toolslibrary.co.uk/workplace.htm

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>From Jobs for the Future (JFF) http://www.jff.org

"Taking Care of Business: The Lessons of WINs"
	WINs is a partnership of the Center for Workforce Success, the
nonprofit education and training arm of the National Association of
Manufacturers' Manufacturing Institute; the Institute for a Competitive
Workforce, a nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and
Jobs for the Future, a Boston-based national nonprofit working on
education and workforce development. Including a guidebook and four
user-friendly manuals, this series from Workforce Innovation
Networks-WINs-shows how organizations can play a unique and important
role in advancing the employer side of the nation's workforce equation.
The guidebook and manuals provide clear information and guidance on
replicating the successful practices learned throughout the course of
the 10-year WINs partnership.
http://www.jff.org/JFF_KC_Pages.php?WhichLevel=1&lv1_id=4&lv2_id=0&lv3_i
d=0&KC_M_ID=345

"Pushing the Envelope: State Policy Innovations in Financing Higher
Education for Workers Who Study"
	This report profiles 12 states that have amended or created
student aid programs to better serve adult students. States typically
have done so based on the proposition that investing in the education
and skills of the workforce produces a return not only to individuals
but also to businesses and the state. These states are leading
innovators that have begun to push the policy envelope by expanding,
changing, or creating programs that work for working adults.
http://www.jff.org/JFF_KC_Pages.php?WhichLevel=1&lv1_id=4&lv2_id=0&lv3_i
d=0&KC_M_ID=360

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>From Public/Private Ventures  http://www.ppv.org


"Going to Work with a Criminal Record: Lessons from the Fathers at Work
Initiative"
	Sponsored by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Fathers at
Work is a three-year national initiative designed to help young,
noncustodial fathers achieve increased employment and earnings, greater
involvement in their children's lives, and more consistent financial
support of their children. The report describes seven fundamental
lessons workforce organizations should consider as they help formerly
incarcerated people move toward stable employment, along with a more
detailed discussion of how program staff can put these lessons into
practice. It outlines how to avoid mistakes and how to develop important
relationships, including with employers, parole officers and the local
child support enforcement agency.
http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/238_publication.pdf 

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>From MDRC  http://www.mdrc.org 


"Welfare Time Limits: An Update on State Policies, Implementation, and
Effects on Families" (April 2008)
	One of the most controversial features of the 1990s welfare
reforms was the imposition of time limits on benefit receipt. Time
limits became a central feature of federal policy in the landmark 1996
welfare law, which created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF) block grant. The law prohibits states from using federal TANF
funds to assist most families for more than 60 months. Under contract to
the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, The Lewin Group and MDRC have
conducted a comprehensive review of what has been learned about time
limits. The review, which updates a 2002 study, includes analysis of
administrative data reported by states to ACF, visits to several states,
and a literature review. The update is timely because most states now
have several years' experience with time limits.
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/481/full.pdf