Continuing Education and the American Workforce.

Overview & Synopsis

This report focuses on the current dynamics and greater potential of linking postsecondary continuing education activities to the training and retraining of the American workforce. Four issues were identified as central to adult education as it relates to human resource development and the improvement of the nation's economy. These issues are (1) the role of postsecondary institutions to worker education and training; (2) employer involvement in campus-based programs for adults seeking job- and career-related education and training; (3) increased collaboration by educators, employers, and employee representatives on training and retraining for the American workforce; and (4) the articulation of national policies for human resource development. The report cites relevant trends in demography, technology, and the nation's economic condition and the impact of these trends on postsecondary institutions and adult learners. The report concludes that continuing education is a fundamental link between American postsecondary education and the workplace and that continuing education and better national strategies for human resource development are fundamental to the improvement of the nation's economy, productivity, and competitiveness. (KC)