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Continuing work by US and Canadian community and technical colleges with colleagues and partners at higher education institutions offering vocational education programs in the Republic of Georgia provides a useful case study of how key elements of the community college model can be applied to reform programs affecting educational policy systems in emerging market economies. This chapter uses a theoretical framework informed by research on public–private partnerships and community capitals to analyze workforce education and training initiatives informed by government, industry, and community needs. Examples of such initiatives include infusing workforce skills and competencies into vocational education curricula, updating pedagogical methods through retraining for teachers, and expanding the governance paradigm of vocational education programs offered at universities, colleges, and vocational centers to reflect the importance of the workforce needs of business and industry. To actively apply a community college model in the Republic of Georgia and elsewhere requires (1) supportive partners among educational policymakers and academics, (2) international donors who continue their commitment to a reform initiative over enough time to see results, and (3) an approach which focuses on national and regional workforce development priorities. Students, parents, and other community stakeholders also need to understand that one of the most important measurements for vocational education reform over time is expanded job opportunities for students after graduation.

Two major trends – demographic shifts in the working-age population, and the proliferation of web technologies – are having a profound and generally unrecognized effect on the nature and characteristics of work, and on opportunities for the mature workforce. Key features of the workplace point to seven broad work trends. These trends have significant implications for organizations and for older workers. Six interdependent organizational changes are central to the far-reaching effects on enterprises and operating approaches. These changing work characteristics require certain essential behaviors for mature workers to be successful in the contemporary work environment. Such a dynamic workplace provides opportunity to introduce new thinking and propose new models. Realigning organizational and workforce interests calls for developing solutions beyond the individual level, reorienting enterprise capabilities, and reframing of the organization development practitioner role as work ecosystem advisor. High-leverage strategies and systemic interventions, such as multiconstituent initiatives and action research, can be used to influence constructively the multifaceted world of work.

A majority of human resource executives report that their inability to attract and retain middle-skills talent frequently affects their firm’s performance. Middle-skills jobs, those that require more than a high school diploma, less than a four-year college degree, and pay above the national living wage, account for nearly half of labor demanded in the United States. As technology transforms the workplace, digital skills are becoming increasingly important and in higher demand. In today’s dynamic workforce, managers are facing managing and developing interdisciplinary and multilevel teams while combating a technical skills divide (lack of qualified workers), making it difficult to recruit and retain a high-technology, middle-skill-level workforce. This chapter focuses on addressing unique challenges relevant to recruitment, upskilling, and management best practices as they relate to the integration of technology and middle-skill-level workers in a highly successful workplace.

A growing number of individuals with autism are graduating from high school and university to find a lack of reliable resources dedicated to assisting the transition from education to the world of work. This Generation A, with a population of 1.5 million people, will age into the workforce over the next decade. Despite federal-state programs, dedicated nonprofits, and highly publicized corporate hiring initiatives, the unemployment rate for individuals with autism remains above the national average. Corporations have started to recognize the untapped potential of the neurodivergent worker but struggled with sourcing talent and failed to develop practicable pipeline models across various industries that are open-sourced, easily replicated, scalable, and financially sustainable. A review of methods, programs, and paradigms that exist amid current statistics reveals the imperative for innovative ideas that can be executed by multiple stakeholders to affect both the work seekers and the job creators. A systems approach to developing talent pipelines is investigated as one possible solution as well as other new expeditions and collaborative, open-sourced concepts that hold promising statistics and anecdotal data about what could be the next iteration of workforce development in an increasingly neurodivergent world.

This chapter highlights a case study at the University of Wyoming (UW) to explore the role of integrating ecotourism and eco-entrepreneurship into higher education at the bachelor’s level. The university has developed a modern, comprehensive curriculum, and practical learning opportunities with local communities, conservation organizations, and industry stakeholders through a state-funded initiative. The program equips students with essential knowledge and eco-entrepreneurial skills for the sustainable development of ecotourism, outdoor recreation, and tourism industries. The chapter presents a pedagogical model as a replicable framework for other institutions aiming to incorporate sustainable, eco-centric curricula into their programs. The findings can guide policymakers, educators, and stakeholders in designing programs that synergize environmental sustainability and eco-entrepreneurial innovation to promote global sustainable development and successful higher education experiences.

This chapter explores the role of colleges and universities supporting regional and national economic development with emphasis on leveraging innovation and entrepreneurship. Key focuses for economic development support from higher education include human resources development, technical assistance, capacity building, economic research and analysis, research, technology transfer, and new business development.

Intellectual capital (IC) and social capital (SC), as forms of intangible value in organizations, are crucial assets in today's volatile business environment. Efforts to retain and develop these intangibles are becoming more deliberate and disciplined. However, organizations fail to recognize the relationship between organizational distress and the loss and/or reduction of intangible value. The loss of intangible value may potentially impact an organization with equal or greater damage than the loss of more tangible value. IC and SC generate many outcomes beneficial to the individual and the organization. These benefits are reduced when stress of employees becomes excessive and damaging. The relationship between the health of an organization and the degree of impact of distress serves as a lingering threat to organizational financial resources. Managers must build upon the growing knowledge from research and practice to help organizations account for the costs of organizational distress, translate the importance of intangible value into tangible terms, and garner support for developing IC and SC to obtain business objectives. Deliberate and disciplined effort to build collaborative capital can facilitate the growth of IC and SC which minimize the damage of organizational distress.

The fourth industrial revolution and its disruptive technological advances are leading to continuous significant changes in the labour markets, which affect employees and employers of all sizes.

Currently, organisations are experiencing considerable skill shortages and talent mismatches: the skills that organisations are looking for do not align with those available in the labour market. This means that matching available candidates on the market with job vacancies is unlikely. In addition, the increasing wage pressure in occupations linked with the most in-demand skills and in high-skills industries has become a reality.

The immaterial assets of a business, such as the competences and skills of its workforce and leaders, are the most significant elements in providing a competitive advantage is a fact no one in the present era would argue against.

While big corporations dispose more resources and capabilities to deal with these challenges, small businesses – considered the foundation of many healthy communities – have limited assets to face such global and complex dynamics.

This chapter acknowledges the significance of small businesses in the global landscape and their key role as ‘job generators’ in enabling an inclusive economic growth in developed as well as in emerging countries. And in this context gives focus to the crucial issue how of small businesses can overcome the skill and the talent gap, and which strategic shifts they can put in place in order to withstand these environmental constraints.

To this end, this chapter provides a broad investigation of international reports discussing the role played by external factors – such as governments and their policy frameworks – and the concept of knowledge sharing.

Moreover, it examines the influence of internal factors. Specifically explored is the key role of the human resources function in attracting skilled graduates, upskilling its workforce, establishing a total reward and talent development strategy and engaging in job design.

This chapter is of particular relevance to owner managers, general and HR managers of small businesses, but also public officials and private institutions. It identifies and offers practical solutions for small businesses that aim to transform themselves to successfully cope with skills shortages and the war for talent in the age of digitalisation.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate, explore, and characterise the perceptions of the Indian private sector employers on the 21st century 4Cs (critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration) skills gap, which affects their productivity.

Need for Study: This research aims to shed light on the significant issue of the soft skills gap, precisely the 4Cs skills in India. Soft skills, including the 4Cs, are complex and crucial for organisations, and the shortage of these skills among the workforce is a growing concern. This research addresses enterprises’ challenges in bridging this gap by exploring different ways to utilise these skills.

Methodology: Fifty-six respondents were interviewed based on cluster sampling. An invitation was sent to 40 private sector organisations from five different industries. Only 15 organisations agreed to participate in the interview process.

Findings: A total of seven were generated from the data, which included: (1) explicit and timely feedback; (2) compassion and understanding; (3) motivation deficiency; (4) lack of collaboration synergies; (5) lack of practical knowledge; (6) interpersonal skills; and (7) creating team culture.

Implication: Given the prevalent skills gap, it is challenging for Indian industries and organisations to remain competitive in the global market. Investing in the education system, providing students with the necessary academic and vocational skills, and equipping them with soft skills, such as the 21st century 4Cs skills is essential to address this issue. Investment is necessary to prepare the workforce to meet the demands of emerging businesses and technologies, ensuring that industries and organisations remain competitive.