Book Description

Over the next 10-15 years, the work force will change significantly in composition. The numbers of minority youth, high school dropouts, and teenage mothers--less well-educated segments of the population--will increase. Youth unemployment will rise, although the total number of youth will decline. Women, with their needs for child care and nontraditional employment, will account for the majority of labor force growth. The labor force will also be aging. At the same time, the workplace will change. From 5-15 million manufacturing jobs will be restructured; an equal number of service jobs will become obsolete. Disruptions from change will be great; the need for training and retraining will be significant. Business, public training institutions, school systems, private training institutions, and labor must work in partnership to provide the necessary education and training. The public must see education, training, and retraining as a lifelong process, vital to their working lives. Public/private partnerships are necessary to create jobs in distressed areas. A new employment policy is needed that encompasses traditional public training programs as well as public education systems. New forms of governance should be considered. Public/private institutions at all levels should be strengthened. Business will have to assume greater responsibility in training the work force. (YLB)