Workforce Development

commentary

What Support Do Officers Need to Perform at Their Peak?

Police1's second annual survey on “What Cops Want” shows both major strengths and substantial challenges in the profession. Law enforcement leadership can use the findings to better support and engage their officers.

Bob Harrison

blog

Putin's State of Mind, the Digital Skills Gap, International Women's Day: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on deterring Russian President Vladimir Putin, understanding America’s gun policy debate, improving teacher diversity, and more.

essay

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.

blog

China-Pakistan Partnership, Media Literacy, Incarcerated Parents: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the China-Pakistan partnership in light of the Taliban's rise to power, media literacy education, parenting from prison, and more.

commentary

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

commentary

How the Military Might Expand Its Cyber Skills

The U.S. military will need to improve its software fluency if it wants to be dominant on the battlefields of the future. Ensuring that future leaders in the military develop cyber skills and the ability to interface with technical experts may be increasingly important.

James Ryseff

commentary

It May Be Time to Rethink the Design of Jobs to Deliver Good Health for Workers

Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the impact of poorly designed jobs on the health of workers was drawing attention. Now may be the time to fundamentally rethink the design of jobs so that they promote good health and lessen poor health and its costs.

Chris Warhurst, Christian Van Stolk

blog

U.S.-Turkish Relations, Airports, Opioids: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the future of the U.S.-Turkish partnership, helping America's commercial airports meet rising demand, the opioid crisis, and more.

essay

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.

blog

School Start Times, Streaming Apps, Brexit: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on later school start times, how streaming apps could help Americans be more active, the latest Brexit news, and more.

blog

E-Cigarettes, 'Stand Your Ground,' Cyber Coercion: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the planned federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes, “stand your ground” laws, understanding cyber coercion, and more.

blog

Data Breaches, Correctional Security, Fentanyl: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how consumers respond to data breaches, new security challenges facing correctional institutions, how fentanyl is changing the opioid crisis, and more.

commentary

How Work-Based Learning Can Bring Employers and Students Together

Work-based learning experiences help college grads better prepare for work. WBL programs often serve as a workforce pipeline for companies. WBL is also successful at the K–12 level and at

Monica Mean, Gabriella C. Gonzalez

commentary

How Community Colleges Can Establish Better Partnerships with Employers

Career and technical education programs give students a chance to engage in learning relevant to their chosen fields and apply immediately for jobs. A strategic vision of collaboration between industry and community colleges can benefit all parties.

Rita T. Karam

blog

State of the Union, OxyContin, Appalachia: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on insights from RAND after the State of the Union, public-health impacts of reformulating OxyContin, STEM jobs in Appalachia, and more.

commentary

The Case for Investing in a More Healthy and Engaged Health Workforce

Improving staff engagement leads to a variety of positive benefits. But defining and measuring engagement is not straightforward, and different demographic factors are associated with different levels of engagement. The National Health Service in England is looking at ways to increase engagement in its staff.

Christian Van Stolk, Marco Hafner

essay

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.

commentary

Keeping Americans on the Job in a Changing Economy

Despite calls to bring back U.S. coal mines and factories, the real issue isn't a lack of family-sustaining jobs, it's a mismatch between workers and available jobs.

Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

essay

What Happens When RAND Rethinks Its Workspace

In an economy that increasingly values ideas over tasks, companies are breaking down office walls, scrapping the idea of a nine-to-five, and doing away with cubicles. A RAND project shows how a modern workspace can be conducive to both collaboration and individual work.

commentary

Many Americans Face Bullying, Harassment, and Abuse at Work, but Bosses Can Help

Workers are experiencing high levels of hostile behaviors at work. Nearly one in five American workers have been subjected to some form of verbal abuse, unwanted sexual attention, threats, or humiliating behavior at work, with younger non-college educated workers bearing the most risk.

Kathleen J. Mullen, Jeffrey B. Wenger

commentary

What Autonomous Vehicles Could Mean for American Workers

Autonomous vehicles are projected to hit American roads within the next few years. They promise safer transportation, greater mobility for millions of Americans, and other benefits. But they will also have enormous impacts on the workforce.

Nidhi Kalra

commentary

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

commentary

Labor Day Blog Series: American Worker

To celebrate Labor Day, the American Worker series of commentaries offers research, reflections, and policy insights on a variety of topics that affect American workers.

Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_, Robert Bozick, et al.

commentary

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