IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ecdequ/v27y2013i3p163-178.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reworking Workforce Development

Author

Listed:
  • Greg Schrock

Abstract

In recent years, local officials throughout the United States have attempted to retool workforce development programs that have historically been tied to federal antipoverty efforts to address the needs of employers in industries considered important for local economic development. But are these old and new goals for workforce development reconcilable? Does a more employer- and industry-focused approach affects the ability of policymakers and practitioners to address the problems of low-wage labor markets? This article examines a recent initiative in Chicago to establish sector-based workforce centers in the manufacturing and service industries. This case study finds that efforts to “rework†the public workforce development system to meet the needs of employers can be at odds with efforts to meet the needs of disadvantaged populations. But greater proximity to employers can also enhance the system’s capacity to promote more progressive human resource practices and equitable labor market outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Greg Schrock, 2013. "Reworking Workforce Development," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 27(3), pages 163-178, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecdequ:v:27:y:2013:i:3:p:163-178
    DOI: 10.1177/0891242413477187
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0891242413477187
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0891242413477187?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edwin Melendez & Bennett Harrison, 1998. "Matching the Disadvantaged to Job Opportunities: Structural Explanations for the Past Successes of the Center for Employment Training," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 12(1), pages 3-11, February.
    2. Holzer, Harry J., 2008. "Workforce Development as an Antipoverty Strategy: What Do We Know? What Should We Do?," IZA Discussion Papers 3776, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Randall W. Eberts & Harry J. Holzer, 2004. "Overview of Labor Exchange Policies and Services," Book chapters authored by Upjohn Institute researchers, in: David E. Balducchi & Randall W. Eberts & Christopher J. O'Leary (ed.), Labor Exchange Policy in the United States, chapter 1, pages 1-31, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    4. Paul Osterman, 2005. "Making Bad Jobs Good: Strategies for the Service Sector," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Stephen Bazen & Claudio Lucifora & Wiemer Salverda (ed.), Job Quality and Employer Behaviour, chapter 11, pages 237-252, Palgrave Macmillan.
    5. Randall W. Eberts & George A. Erickcek, 2001. "The Role of Partnerships in Economic Development and Labour Markets in the United States," Book chapters authored by Upjohn Institute researchers, in: Local Partnerships for Better Governance, pages 251-279, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    6. Paul Osterman & Rosemary Batt, 1993. "Employer-centered training for international competitiveness: Lessons from state programs," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(3), pages 456-477.
    7. Elsie Harper-Anderson, 2008. "Measuring the Connection Between Workforce Development and Economic Development," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 22(2), pages 119-135, May.
    8. Stephen Bazen & Claudio Lucifora & Wiemer Salverda (ed.), 2005. "Job Quality and Employer Behaviour," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-37864-3, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nichola Lowe & Greg Schrock & Matthew D. Wilson & Rumana Rabbani & Allison Forbes, 2022. "Centering Work: Integration and Diffusion of Workforce Development within the U.S. Manufacturing Extension Network," Upjohn Working Papers 22-371, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    2. Elsie Harper-Anderson, 2008. "Measuring the Connection Between Workforce Development and Economic Development," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 22(2), pages 119-135, May.
    3. Nichola Lowe & Greg Schrock & Matthew D. Wilson & Rumana Rabbani & Allison Forbes, 2023. "Centering Work: Integration and Diffusion of Workforce Development Within the U.S. Manufacturing Extension Network," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 37(4), pages 375-388, November.
    4. repec:mpr:mprres:7072 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Timothy J. Bartik, 2009. "The Revitalization of Older Industrial Cities: A Review Essay of Retooling for Growth," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 1-29, March.
    6. Cornelißen Thomas & Hübler Olaf, 2011. "Unobserved Individual and Firm Heterogeneity in Wage and Job-Duration Functions: Evidence from German Linked Employer–Employee Data," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 12(4), pages 469-489, December.
    7. T. William Lester & Nichola J. Lowe & Allan Freyer, 2014. "Mediating Incentive Use," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 28(2), pages 132-146, May.
    8. Linda Lobao & P. Wilner Jeanty & Mark Partridge & David Kraybill, 2012. "Poverty and Place across the United States," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 35(2), pages 158-187, April.
    9. Andrew E. Clark, 2005. "Your Money or Your Life: Changing Job Quality in OECD Countries," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 43(3), pages 377-400, September.
    10. Heather Koball & Robin Dion & Andrew Gothro & Maura Bardos & Amy Dworsky & Jiffy Lansing & Matthew Stagner & Danijela Korom-Djakovic & Carla Herrera & Alice Elizabeth Manning, "undated". "Synthesis of Research and Resources to Support At-Risk Youth," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 8353b63284d94941bcb778e1c, Mathematica Policy Research.
    11. Michael C. Shone & P. Ali Memon, 2008. "Tourism, Public Policy and Regional Development: A Turn from Neo-liberalism to the New Regionalism," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 23(4), pages 290-304, November.
    12. Aguilar, Alexandra Cortés & García Muñoz, Teresa M. & Moro-Egido, Ana I., 2013. "Heterogeneous self-employment and satisfaction in Latin America," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 44-61.
    13. García-Pérez, Carmelo & Prieto-Alaiz, Mercedes & Simón, Hipólito, 2020. "Multidimensional measurement of precarious employment using hedonic weights: Evidence from Spain," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 348-359.
    14. Maude Toussaint-Comeau & Robin Newberger & Darline Augustine, 2016. "Inclusive Cluster-Based Development Strategies for Inner Cities," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 30(2), pages 171-184, May.
    15. Sarah Holly & Alwine Mohnen, 2012. "Impact of Working Hours on Work-Life Balance," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 465, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    16. Nichola J. Lowe, 2007. "Job Creation and the Knowledge Economy: Lessons From North Carolina's Life Science Manufacturing Initiative," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 21(4), pages 339-353, November.
    17. repec:zbw:rwirep:0265 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Dominik Hanglberger, 2011. "Arbeitszufriedenheit im internationalen Vergleich," FFB-Discussionpaper 86, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)), LEUPHANA University Lüneburg.
    19. Michela Ponzo, 2012. "On-the-job Search in Italian Labor Markets: An Empirical Analysis," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2), pages 213-232, July.
    20. Andrew M. Gill & Duane E. Leigh, 2000. "Community College Enrollment, College Major, and the Gender Wage Gap," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 54(1), pages 163-181, October.
    21. Rafael Muñoz de Bustillo & Enrique Fernández-Macías & José-Ignacio Antón & Fernando Esteve, 2011. "Measuring More than Money," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14072, March.
    22. Mosthaf, Alexander & Schnabel, Claus & Stephani, Jens, 2011. "Low-wage careers: Are there dead-end firms and dead-end jobs?," Zeitschrift für ArbeitsmarktForschung - Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 43(3), pages 231-249.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:ecdequ:v:27:y:2013:i:3:p:163-178. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.