HOUSE DEMOCRATS REINTRODUCE WIA 

The House Republican version of WIA--also virtually the same as last year's bill--is likely to be reintroduced soon by Rep. Virginia Foxx and to go to mark-up in early March.  Senate intentions with regard to WIA are currently unclear.   

Learn on Demand is an exciting new approach to higher education offered by the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. This highly flexible online system is the first of its kind and offers both modules and full courses that focus on a single job skill or academic topic and that can be completed in only a few weeks time. It offers college and job readiness education and training to both potential and incumbent workers seeking a new job or a better one. Students engage in learning contracts and can take just short modules of instruction as needed, or earn either a two-year degree or short-term credential. Anyone with a high school diploma or GED is automatically admitted through a simple online registration and application process to one of 16 participating colleges. A flat rate fee of $140 is charged per credit hour. The system, described by KCSTC as revolutionary in nature, is accredited by the participating colleges through the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. To learn more CLICK HERE.

The Consortium for Worker Education (CWE), which provides numerous adult education and workforce skills programs for its members, has had its programs for FY2011-2012 examined by researcher Deborah D'Amico. A report titled "Qualitative Program Report", and an executive summary, are available from Raymond O'Kane at CWE (rokane@cwe.org). Among the report's conclusions are that CWE worker education is directly related to employment goals and supports high rates of persistence and retention, and that instruction is highly contextualized, collaborative, and demonstrates best practices in adult education.    

The Shifting Gears initiative of the Joyce Foundation has undergone an interim evaluation, available now as a report titled An Evaluation of the First Five Years of Shifting Gears. The initiative aims to promote regional economic growth by lifting the education and skills training of workers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The report discusses the progress made so far in each of the participating states and identifies activities that have brought about success. One of the activities is "achieving buy-in and commitment of senior state leadership to advance the chosen state strategy." A related report from Joyce is called Shifting Gears: Building new pathways for low-skilled workers to succeed in the 21st century economy.  Both reports are available from the Joyce website.

 

 There and Home Again, Safely: 5 Responsibilities of Ambulatory Practices in
High Quality Care Transitions is a new 77-page report from the American Medical Association.  It is an important addition to the literature for advancing health literacy. The report discusses five responsibilities for high quality ambulatory care: patient assessment, goal-setting, facilitating access to information and resources, managing medication, and coordinating care among all members of the health care team.  It also explains the importance of five principles: care should be person-centered, collaborative, structured, iterative, and flexible.  A core proposition of the report is that certain tasks during "care transitions" are probably best carried out by ambulatory care teams rather than in-patient medical people. The report aims to help them do that job better, with checklists, principles of behavior, and other tools.