New Report: Improving Community College Completion Rates by Addressing Structural and Motivational Barriers

Community colleges can play a pivotal role in providing individuals with viable pathways into the American middle class, maintaining a strong workforce, and building a competitive 21st-century economy. Delivering on this promise requires innovative solutions to increase the number of community college students who complete a postsecondary credential or degree.

These policy recommendations, part of a new report from the Brown Center on Education Policy , are designed to help college leaders, employers, researchers, and policymakers identify steps to improve community college completion rates.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Section 1: The problem of low completion rates
Section 2: The structural barrier
Section 3: The motivational barrier
Section 4: Policy recommendations

Partnership Launches New Online Workforce Center Aimed at Curbing Persistent Staffing Pressures at Skilled Nursing and Senior Housing Facilities

October 8 release:

Two of the biggest names in long-term care advocacy have teamed up to create a new online workforce center aimed at curbing persistent staffing pressures at skilled nursing and senior housing facilities.

The American Health Care Association (AHCA), in conjunction with the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI), on Monday (October 8) launched the Workforce Resource Center , a website with information on training and professional development initiatives for providers and workers.

Speaking at AHCA's annual convention and expo in San Diego on Monday, president and CEO Mark Parkinson said staffing issues have shot to the top of the concerns he hears from providers. Eight years ago, when he took over the group that represents for-profit long-term care providers, operators mostly told him about reimbursement woes. Now workforce issues dominate the list, he said, as administrators and executives struggle with record-low unemployment figures that put workers in the driver's seat.

For the full release, please see the Skilled Nursing News coverage at ( https://skillednursingnews.com/2018/10/ahca-teams-phi-launches-long-term-care-workforce-center/ )

Department of Transportation Issues RFI on the Scope of the Study on the Impact of Automated Vehicle Technologies on the U.S Workforce; Comment due November 5

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit comment and feedback on the scope of the congressionally-required comprehensive analysis of the impact of automated vehicle technologies on the workforce. Comments are due November 5.

The RFI was published in the October 9 FEDERAL REGISTER at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-10-09/pdf/2018-21842.pdf

• This study will be conducted by DOT in consultation with the Department of Labor to provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of [Advanced DriverAssist Systems] ADAS and [Highly Automated Vehicles] HAV technologies on drivers and operators of commercial motor vehicle, including the potential for any labor displacement.


• DOT will also coordinate this initiative with the U.S. Departments of Commerce and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


• Each component of the study will engage the relevant interested and affected stakeholders such as industry representatives, driver and operator groups, and workforce training providers to ensure input from across the diverse commercial and non-commercial driver industry. While it may not be feasible to precisely predict the exact capabilities or timing of new automated vehicles technologies entering the marketplace, this study may construct statistical models, use-cases, and scenarios based projections based on the best available data on market forecasts, industry trends, and relevant labor markets to evaluate different technology penetration scenarios and their potential effects on the workforce and related factors.


• The objectives of the request for comments on the comprehensive analysis of the impact of automated vehicle technologies on workforce are to obtain feedback into the scope of the study regarding the magnitude of the potential pace of transition in the transportation workforce and how other sectors of the workforce will adapt to the quality of life effects due to automation .


• The study will also examine training availability and what will be required to transition the traditional commercial driver into the new environment including transit bus automation.


• Finally, the study will analyze the issues of driver situational awareness in vehicles which may require operator re-engagement, the safety of truck platooning, and related traffic management.

President Trump Signs Federal Aviation Reauthorization Act of 2018; Title VI Addresses Workforce Development

President Trump Signs "Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018"

On October 5, President Trump signed into law H.R. 302, the "FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018," which

• reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration and related revenue authorities through September 30, 2023
• modifies the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster assistance authorities
• provides $1.68 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Fund for long-term disaster recovery
• further integrates unmanned aircraft systems into the Nation's airspace systems
• establishes a United States International Development Finance Corporation.

Title VI addresses workforce development:

• Subtitle A–Youth in Aviation
  • Sec. 601. Student outreach report.
    Sec. 602. Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force.

• Subtitle B–Women in Aviation
  • Sec. 611. Sense of Congress regarding women in aviation.
    Sec. 612. Supporting women's involvement in the aviation field.

• Subtitle C–Future of Aviation Workforce
  • Sec. 621. Aviation and aerospace workforce of the future.
    Sec. 622. Aviation and aerospace workforce of the future study.
    Sec. 623. Sense of Congress on hiring veterans.
    Sec. 624. Aviation maintenance industry technical workforce.
    Sec. 625. Aviation workforce development programs.

• Subtitle D–Unmanned Aircraft Systems Workforce
  • Sec. 631. Community and technical college centers of excellence in small unmanned aircraft system technology training.
    Sec. 632. Collegiate training initiative program for unmanned aircraft systems.

Department of Interior Requests Proposals for Insular Areas Technical Assistance Program; Economic Development, Education, Disaster Assistance, and Financial Management among Eligible Projects

The Office of Insular Affairs within the Department of Interior is requesting proposals for its Technical Assistance Program (TAP) which provides grant funding for short-term projects intended to meet the immediate needs of the insular areas. Funding priorities include, but are not limited to, projects that foster the development of the insular areas in the following categories:

Eligible applicants are non-federal entities such as local government agencies (including local hospitals/health centers and local utilities) and institutions of higher education in Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau; and any non-profit organizations whose mission directly benefits the seven insular areas in accordance with regulations contained in 2 CFR 200.

Applications will be accepted via Grants.Gov until March 1, 2019. Applications received later than March 1st may not receive consideration.

See: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=309406