Workforce Strategy Center

Workforce Strategy Center (WSC) is a nonprofit organization that works with federal, state and local workforce development and economic development agencies and community colleges to align policies and practices to help workers advance in a changing economy.

The organization focuses on working with other entities with the ultimate goal of finding ways to transition workers displaced from their previous jobs into new careers.

One example of such an approach is Career Pathways, a framework for career advancement that has emerged over the past decade that emphasizes the need for post-secondary education and training. Workforce Strategy Center (WSC) has worked throughout the United States on Career Pathways [http://ecs.org/clearinghouse/75/67/7567.pdf] .

Founded by Julian L. Alssid in 1998, WSC has three main areas of concentration. WSC works with education, workforce development and economic development practitioners on the state and local levels to develop strategies to help students and workers meet the needs of local economies [http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/21/65.html] . WSC assists state and national policymakers to develop education and employment policies that better align public resources to develop more effective workforce development programs [http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0919/p09s02-coop.html] . As an applied think tank, WSC conducts research and issues reports to advance the field of workforce development policy and practice [http://www.league.org/league/projects/ccti/files/Systemic_Framework.pdf] . Workforce Strategy Center's work has been cited in national newspapers [http://www.projo.com/projojobs/content/JO_ALSSID_01-06-08_3A8DU8B_v12.1b9fbb7.html] , prominent trade publications [http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/24/79/89.html] [http://www.nature.com/bioent/2005/050301/full/bioent851.html] [http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/08/31/career] [http://www.communitycollegetimes.com/article.cfm?ArticleId=334] , and on National Public Radio [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1740827] [ [http://www.kcpw.org/article/4493] .

Publications

WSC has published articles and reports on workforce development issues [http://www.workforcestrategy.org/publications/bysection/all] . In addition, WSC has published the following op-eds:

*Alssid, J., & Lawing, K. (2008, September 12). Build On Success Of Work Force System. "Witchita Eagle". Available at http://www.kansas.com/205/story/526631.html

*Alssid, J., & St. Angelo, S. (2008, June 5). Solution for employment woes. "Lexington Herald-Leader". Available at http://www.kentucky.com/589/story/424783.html

*Alssid, J., & D’Amico, C. (2008, April 8). Creating pathways to careers for low-wage workers. "Indianapolis Star", p. A9.

*Alssid, J. (2008, March 18). State needs strategy to develop knowledge economy. "The Newport Daily News", p. A9.

*Leach, M., & Alssid, J. (2008, February 3). Arkansas now has a pathway to a global workforce. "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette", p. 2J.

*Alssid, J. (2007, September 19). As Job Market Advances, So Can American Workers. "The Christian Science Monitor". Available at http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0919/p09s02-coop.html?page=1

External links

* [http://www.workforcestrategy.org/ Workforce Strategy Center official website]

References

*Smith, A. (2008, August 3). Continuing education gets hotter as the job market cools down. "The Providence Journal". Available at http://www.projo.com/projojobs/content/JO_CONTINUINGED_08-03-08_26B1347_v19.199c745.html

*Smart, M. P. (2008, July/August). Hard Sell. "Forward". Available at http://forward.msci.org/articles/0708hard-sell.cfm

*Gardner, M. (2008, June 9). Americans put themselves on the path to green careers. "The Christian Science Monitor". Available at http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/06/09/americans-put-themselves-on-the-path-to-green-careers/

*Sander, L. (2008, June 6). For Work-Force Training, a Plan to Give College Credit Where It's Due. "The Chronicle of Higher Education". 54(39) A21.

*Chen, M. (2008, April 22). As the Economy Worsens: Helping People Find Jobs. "The Gotham Gazette". Available at http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/communitydevelopment/20080422/20/2504

*Peter, T. A. (2008, February 25). Robots Set to Overhaul Service Industry, Jobs. "The Christian Science Monitor". Available at http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0225/p01s01-usgn.html

*Hess, R. (2008, February 4). Longitudinal Study Shows Many Dropouts Not Even Trying at 20. "Employment and Training Reporter", 39, 300-301

*Klein, H. (2008, January 24). A ‘Welcome’ development at KCC – Popular Hospitality & Tourism curriculum exceeds expectations. "Courier Life Publications". Available at http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2008/01/24/import/20080124-archive202.txt

*Smith, A. (2008, January 6). Educated work force is needed, says job expert. "The Providence Journal", p. H1.

*Dembicki, M. (2007, June 7). A simple message is critical in economic impact studies. "Community College Times". Available at http://www.communitycollegetimes.com/article.cfm?TopicId=5&ArticleId=334

*Bragg, D. et al. (2007). [http://occrl.ed.uiuc.edu/Projects/GED/Career_Pathways.pdf "A Cross-Case Analysis of Career Pathway Programs that Link Low-Skilled Adults to Family Sustaining Wage Careers"] . Minneapolis: National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, University of Minnesota.

*Morales, C. (2006, August 7). N.Y. Project Yields To-Do Trilogy to Career Track. "Employment & Training Reporter", 37(46), 718.

*Hughes, K. L., & Karp, M. M. (2006). [http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Content/ContentGroups/Headline_News/February_2006/9287_AACCvisualreport.pdf "Strengthening Transitions by Encouraging Career Pathways: A Look at State Policies and Practices"] . Washington DC: American Association of Community Colleges.

*Meadows, M. (2005, October 5). Pathway to Success in Life Sciences. "The St. Louis American". Available at http://www.stlamerican.com/articles/2005/10/06/news/local_news/localnews03.txt

*Heisler, E. (2005, January 14). Leaders Here Want to take a Page From California in Biotech. "St. Louis Post Dispatch", p. C1.

*Voorhees, R. A., & Harvey, L. (Eds.). (2005). Engaging Institutions in Workforce Development: Career Pathways for Disadvantaged Adults. "Workforce Development and Higher Education: A Strategic Role for Institutional Research: New Directions for Institutional Research", 128, 83-97.

*Women Employed Institute, the Chicago Jobs Council, and the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Great Cities Institute. (2005). [http://www.womenemployed.org/docs/BridgeGuideFinal.pdf "Bridges to Careers for Low-Skilled Adults: A Program Development Guide"] . Chicago: Women Employed Institute.

*McGarry, B. (2004, November 30). ACC to Help Boost Area's High-Tech Employee Pool. "The Post Star", p. B1.
*Angelo, J. M. (2004, April 1). The $250 million pie: Bush's federal funding program may be a pie with many slices, but for schools not prepared to vie for the funds, it may be a pie in the face. "University Business".

*Evelyn, J. (2004, March 19). Community Colleges Expect Loss in Job-Training Funds Despite Bush's Promises. "The Chronicle of Higher Education", 50(28), A23.

*MacAllum, K., Yoder, K., & Poliakoff, A. R. (2004). [http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/29/de/82.pdf "The 21st-Century Community College: A Strategic Guide to Maximizing Labor Market Responsiveness. Volumes 1, 2, and 3"] . Washington D.C.: Academy for Educational Development.

*Harmon, R., & MacAllum, K. (2003). [http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/progs/ccinits/lmrcharacteristics.pdf "Documented Characteristics of Labor Market-Responsive Community Colleges and a Review of Supporting Literature"] . Washington DC: US Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

*Kazis, R., & Liebowitz, M. (2003). [http://www.mdrc.org/publications/349/full.pdf "Changing Courses: Instructional Innovations That Help Low-Income Students Succeed in Community College"] . New York: MDRC.