U.S. Job Training: Types, Participants, and History

“It's Like a Shoulder to Lean On”: Social Support Provided by an Inner‐city Workforce Development Program

“…Nearly all workforce development programs include informational support such as remedial training and soft skill training (O'Leary et al, 2004). Still, the relationship between received and perceived support is affected by the need for support (Melrose, Brown, & Wood, 2015).…”

“…Broadly, the aim of workforce development programs is to increase job readiness through short‐term courses focused on skill building (Shipps & Howard, ). To reach this goal programs implement a range of models, delivery services, and approaches (O'Leary, Straits, & Wandner, , Weigensberg et al., ). Workforce development programs that incorporate components related to health have shown positive results in reducing risk‐taking among young people, increasing rates of high school diploma completion, and improving employment status in young men (Latimore, Tandon, & Sonenstein, ; Sonenstein, Marshall, & Tandon, ).…”

Workforce Development as an Antipoverty Strategy: What do We Know? What Should We do?

“…6 These programs overall accounted for over $34B in spending; but actual expenditures on employment and training within these programs accounted for a much smaller amount -roughly $14B. These expenditures amount to just over 0.1% of GDP -a smaller fraction than is spent on training or workforce development virtually anywhere else in the industrial world (Heckman et al 1999;O'Leary et al 2004).…”

Earnings Progression and the Workforce Investment Act: Evidence from Washington State

“…T he U.S. Government has funded workforce development programs since the passage of the Wagner‐Peyser Act in 1933. The broad goal of workforce development and job training is to provide people with skills to obtain and maintain employment (O'Leary, Straits, and Wandner ). Publicly funded workforce training and job matching services encompass a range of activities, complementing and, at times, including employer‐provided job training and training through the public community and technical college system.…”