Communities and Workforce DevelopmentEdwin MelĂ©ndez, Editor First Chapter | Table of Contents 499 pp. 2004 $70.00 cloth 978-0-88099-317-3 $25.00 paper 978-0-88099-316-6 This volume reveals how, as a result of policy reforms at the national, state, and local levels, programming by different institutions converged with innovative professional practices to transform the employment services industry. The contributors show how these reforms spurred employment service providers to substantially revamp their operations by promoting the principles of universal access, integration of federal funding streams, devolution of policy to local authorities, and work-first as a starting point for employment services. As a result, many new programs were started by nontraditional institutions, traditional programs underwent rapid transformations, and some providers exited the industry. The studies presented here constitute a first step towards a comprehensive assessment of the role that community organizations played in revamping the employment services industry. Most importantly, they show how a new style of labor market intermediary has evolved from focusing almost exclusively on the provision of employment services to job seekers to simultaneously addressing the needs of both job seekers and employers. "Overall, the book is an interesting look at the state of nonprofit employment training during a period of policy and economic change. The way the editor structured the book helped me digest the qualitative research that makes up the bulk of the collection. The first three parts begin with a larger overview of an issue followed by essays that provide more detailed examples. These case study-based essays demonstrate how the trends discussed in the overview are embodied in a few examples and highlight new innovations not captured in the overview." –Journal of Regional Science |