A Fisherman's Guide: An Assessment of Training and Remediation Strategies

Abstract

The W.E. Upjohn Institute is pleased to publish a comprehensive review of training and remediation strategies for unemployed and underemployed persons. Although employability development programs that emphasize relatively longterm investments in training have been subordinate to programs that provide jobs, this orientation was largely due to the short-term goals inherent in both the policy orientation and management of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act.The author clearly notes the need to reorient the ends and means of CETA. Taggart advocates that improvements be made in CETA through gradual realign ment and the development of new training activities and guidelines. In his view, training should receive top priority in order that today's unemployed and underemployed can be equipped to meet the future needs of business and industry as the U.S. enters a potential labor shortage situation within the next decade or so. This study is published with the expectation that the author's views on the role and importance of training will contribute to a more informed discussion of future employment policies and programs.Facts and observations presented in this publication are the sole responsibility of the author. His viewpoints do not necessarily represent positions of the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

New Concepts and Alternative Practice in Community Supervision of Juvenile Offenders: Rediscovering Work Experience and Competency Development

“…The problem of access for disadvantaged youth has been most often addressed by special programs emphasizing job preparation, job seeking skills, and work orientation training, as well as job development and "supported work initiatives (Levin & Ferman, 1985;Michel, 1980;Taggart, 1981). Even more promising, however, have been programmatic efforts to address the problem of negative characteristics in existing youth jobs Downloaded by [New York University] at 04:36 14 May 2015 by "designing" structured paid work experiences for youth.…”

“…Unfortunately, assumptions about general incompetence of young offenders in many of these efforts have often led to an over-emphasis on molding the work to fit the needs of the worker--resulting in inadequate attention to the value and quality of the work itself. Charges of "make work have been a frequent, though predictable, outcome (Taggart, 1981).…”

The Impact of Job Training Programs on the Reemployment Probability of Dislocated Workers

“…For a summary of these studies, see Taggart, 1981;Barnow, 1986;Danziger and Weinberg, 1986, pp. 133-179. In 1988 Congress enacted the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires that employers with 100 or more employees must provide advance notice 60 days prior to a plant closing or relocation.…”

“…Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the impact of earlier job training programs on the economically disadvantaged.2 The consensus among these studies is that job training programs have been successful in raising participants' postprogram earnings and their employment probability (Long, Mallar, and Thornton, 1981;Taggart, 1981). Among such programs, classroom skill training, classroom basic training, and OJT have been especially beneficial for participants.…”

A Common Sense Approach: Fighting Poverty Among Single‐Parent Families

“…Those programs were controversial, however. Supporters believed that thousands of people who had not received adequate education and training in the public schools were helped (Taggart, 1981). Opponents suggested that jobs were created in the bureaucratic administration of the programs, but that minorities and other groups needing help were not aided in proportion to dollars spent (Brophy, 1979;Cameron, 1979).…”