Building a System to Invest in People

In 1989, the National Center on Education and the Economy created the Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. In its 1990 report, "America's Choice: High Skills or Low Wages!," the commission recommended that the United States build a new skills-development system. This document provides a progress report on reforms that followed the publication of "America's Choice." Following a brief overview of developments at the national level, the rest of the document describes the reform efforts of 12 leading states--Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin--in four areas: economic-development policy, basic education reform, the post-basic-education and training system, and the development of a labor-market system. Each state profile gives a broad picture of what the state is doing in these four areas, how the reforms fit together, and the strengths and weaknesses of the state strategy. The states: (1) set high standards for basic education; (2) offer professional and technical pathways leading to an industry-recognized certification; (3) help corner the quality market; and (4) are building a market for employment and training services. Lessons learned about the reform process and system design are also discussed. A total of 26 tables and 12 figures are included. (LMI)