Occupational Training

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If College Isn't the Pathway to the Middle Class It Once Was—What Is?

Is college still the best path to the middle class? It's complicated. College credentials still do lead many to increased earnings, but the rapid increases in college costs, coupled with a strong labor market, have made the payoff for a college degree no longer a sure thing.

Lindsay Daugherty

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The Digital Skills Gap: What Workers Need for the Jobs of the Future

Business leaders have warned for years that what they see on job applications does not match what they need in new employees. There are not enough workers with the right digital skills. And as the world economy struggles to its feet after COVID-19, that skills gap threatens to keep pushing it down.

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The Bright Appeal of New Tech May Overshadow Practical Business

Law enforcement departments are increasingly considering using augmented reality and virtual reality for training. How can the AR/VR industry be incentivized to ensure that content responds to user needs and is accessible?

Timothy Marler

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Job Training Is More Effective When Educators, Government, and Industry Work Together

The United States is facing economic gaps wider than have been seen in a century. To keep the nation economically strong and able to provide citizens with middle-class lifestyles, educators, government, and private industry need to work together to shape training opportunities.

Matthew D. Baird, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

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Education and Employment Should Be One System, Not Two

Too many American workers aren't getting the education and training they need to compete in the 21st century. We need to revamp the entire system of educating and employing people. And that system needs to ensure equitable access to opportunities and lifelong learning.

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Is Training for NHS Staff to Manage Workplace Violence Effective?

Going to work should not mean being subjected to physical or verbal assault, but this is the reality faced by thousands of frontline NHS staff. De-escalation training may help staff manage patient violence and aggression, but there is not enough research about what works in specific healthcare contexts.

Brandi Leach, Michael Whitmore

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Jobs Can Improve the Lives of Syrian Refugees and Their Host Communities—and Support Stability in the Middle East

Host governments, international development agencies, and donor countries like the United States could take several steps to improve Syrian refugee employment. This would increase self-reliance among Syrian refugees and ease pressures on host communities.

Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_

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Syrian Workers, Iranian Spies, Jihadi Brides: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on jobs for Syrian refugees, Iran's efforts to spy on the United States, the complicated cases of jihadi brides, and more.

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As Refugees, Syrian Women Find Liberation in Working

Syrian refugee women in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan want opportunities to work. But there are multiple barriers and challenges that limit them. Improving the chances of safe and dignified work opportunities for Syrian women in these countries could yield broad positive social benefits for both the refugee and host communities.

Louay Constant, Shanthi Nataraj, et al.

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Syrian Skills: A Missed Opportunity

Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon are finding ways to get by. But many refugees are not able to fully use their skills, and that is a lost opportunity both for the Syrians and the host countries.

Shanthi Nataraj, Louay Constant

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Military Spouses, Exercise Incentives, Libraries: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on a scholarship program for military spouses, a wellness program that uses the Apple Watch, how libraries can improve public health, and more.

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Appalachia Partnership Helps Both Workers and Employers in a Changing Market

An innovative program in Appalachia is realigning the skills of the workforce with the needs of employers, getting people back on the job and providing a 21st-century model of workforce development.

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Community Colleges Can Be 'First Responders' in Retraining Displaced Workers

Many of the occupations with the most opportunities require two-year degrees or certificates. Community colleges play a key role in training students for these jobs and offer a supportive environment for displaced and dissatisfied workers.

Lindsay Daugherty

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Carrier Deal Does Not Carry the Day for American Workers

Despite the good intentions, pressuring companies like Carrier to keep jobs in the U.S. addresses only the smaller part of the problem, globalization, not the larger one, technological change. A long term solution would be to upgrade the education and training system so that students graduate with skills for life-long learning.

Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_, Lynn A. Karoly

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America's Shifting Labor Market in a Technology-Driven World

Making America competitive in a transitioning market will require examining future labor market requirements. Workforce development programs that target building labor capacity for a new economy will be essential.

Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

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Back to Work: Middle-Skill Jobs in the STEM Economy

The STEM economy will grow by 17 percent through 2018, with expected job vacancies totaling 2.4 million. Middle-skill STEM jobs—such as computer support specialists, web developers, and engineering technicians—are in the highest demand.

Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Robert Bozick

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Young Workers Without College Degrees Face Uncomfortable Truths

Young Americans without a college education suffer from high unemployment, low earnings, and delayed adulthood with a limited ability to buy a home. To help them, policymakers need to remind themselves that workforce training and labor policy must focus on the technology-driven jobs of tomorrow.

Diana Gehlhaus

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Building a Sound Technical and Vocational Education and Training System

Technical and vocational education and training in India has expanded significantly over the past two decades. But quality and relevance remain significant issues. What may be learned from other countries' experiences?

Louay Constant, Cathy Stasz, et al.

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Change Choices, Not Conversation

Too often we talk only about the ongoing challenges facing education, health care, transportation and economic development across the Gulf South — Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.... We need to determine new ways to work together across state lines to focus on solutions that will benefit the entire region, writes Melissa Flournoy.

Melissa Flournoy