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Low-Skill Workers, Technology, and Education: A New Vision for Workforce Development Policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Mary Gatta*
Affiliation:
Workforce Policy and Research, Centre for Women and Work, Rutgers University

Abstract

Meeting the education and training needs of low-skill working adults will require a transformation of United States workforce development policy. A significant component of this transformation is the development of education and training programs that are crafted around the needs of these workers. Traditional classroom based learning — which is inflexible in time and place — presents a series of barriers to low-skill adults. This article documents the relationship between educational attainment and labour market status in the US. It explores the extent to which the use of technology and online learning may help to equalise access to education and training by providing learning opportunities that can better incorporate working adults' work, education and family demands.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2008

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