Encouraging Workforce Development in the Gulf States Economic
development depends on a trained work force. As Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Alabama seek to expand their economies,
employers will require highly literate workers with advanced
technical skills. Businesses, factories, and other organizations
that need workers must collaborate with local and regional high
schools, colleges, and vocational institutions that train
workers to ensure the right match between available jobs and
applicants. These nascent partners will require data and
information as they forge new ways of working together and
nurture a workforce for today and the future. Their success will
mean improved educational and economic outcomes, as well as
improved prosperity and quality of life for workers themselves.
RAND has conducted extensive research on vocational and
continuing education in the United States and overseas, as well
as K-12 education in the United States, as well as the role of
education in workforce development. Augmenting Sk