Workforce Development
You are in the Workforce Development section of the Casey Foundation Knowledge Center, which offers resources that are either published or funded by the Casey Foundation. Resources address supporting families to develop the skills and education necessary to get good jobs and build careers.
See also the Our Work: Economic Security, an overview of the Casey Foundation's investments in this issue.
See also all Economic Security resources in the Knowledge Center.
Featured Publications
Strengthening Workforce Policy: Applying the Lessons of the Jobs Initiative to Five Key Challenges
2007
This report identifies five central problems that confront policymakers who are interested in improving workforce development programs. Based on lessons learned from the Jobs Initiative, an eight-year Casey Foundation workforce initiative launched in 1995, the report outlines specific policy actions to address these challenges. The report focuses on policy at the local, state, and federal levels.
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Diversifying the Economy to Create Jobs and Help Families Prosper in South Dakota
2008
Facing the common rural challenges of outmigration and a dying agricultural-based economy, the residents of Howard, South Dakota and the surrounding county looked to the economic engines of the future to create employment opportunities and increase income. From developing wind energy-related businesses to organic beef production, Miner County has re-energized its citizens, revitalized its economy, and recaptured some former community members.
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Using Local Creativity and Entrepreneurship to Build Family-Supporting Jobs in North Carolina
2008
Residents of the Appalachian region of western North Carolina are redeveloping their economy by building on their age-old tradition of crafts and using it as a springboard to also expand their agricultural and tourism industries. An Asheville nonprofit, Handmade in America, is providing support, inspiration and know-how to help the region build on its strengths.
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Strengthening Rural Families: Expanding College and Job-Skills Opportunities in Western Maine
2008
In Franklin County, Maine, a group of local leaders has brought community college classes and jobs skills training to their area, giving residents new opportunities to qualify for good jobs and higher expectations for their futures. It is also providing employers—and prospective employers—with a new supply of well-educated workers.
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Working Together to Create Stronger Workforce Partnerships
2008
This report traces how various funders—national foundations, smaller local foundations, and government agencies can work together to have an impact on key economic challenges. Such collaborations foster new possibilities in the workforce field and should encourage other funders to support similar efforts.
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Connecting People to Jobs: Neighborhood Workforce Pipelines
2008
The first publication in this series describes the Casey Foundation’s efforts to develop a new approach to connecting the dots between people living in low income neighborhoods and jobs that provide health benefits and career advancement. The "neighborhood pipeline" joins residents, schools, community organizations, employers, workforce agencies, and elected officials to connect families to jobs. Stories from Seattle/White Center, San Antonio, and Louisville show how pipelines work.
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