Book Description

?Anyone interested in a better trained workforce should read this book. Well-paying jobs requiring less than a college degree are a growing sector of the economy that is often ignored. Grubb's book shows how community colleges can improve the chances of Americans securing those jobs.?--Jack Jennings, director, Center on National Education Policy?Community colleges have become America's premier training institution's and Norton Grubb has written the definitive book on how they fit into the labor market and affect economic outcomes. Working In The Middle will the standard source for years to come.?--Paul Osterman, professor of human resources and management, Sloan School, MITSixty percent of America's workers have at least a high school diploma but lack a baccalaureate degree. Working in the Middle explains why this seldom studied workforce is critical to the nation's economic well-being, and offers recommAndations for business leaders, educators, trainers, and labor economists to maintain the vitality of this enormous group of workers, the backbone of the economy.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 do they need to develop.