The economic changes that have occurred in this country over the course of this past decade have had a grave impact on manufacturing workers, which has forced many of these workers to transition into new career fields. As workers are faced with having to start new career paths, the community college has served as a hub of information and a source of inspiration to begin new careers. Through programs such as the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, these dislocated workers are able to acquire a new skill or trade. A qualitative study will investigate how dislocated workers make a successful transition from community college to a new career field. An examination will also be conducted, observing the positive transition that these workers have experienced since becoming unemployed. Due to the closures of manufacturing facilities, there are thousands of people who are now considered to be dislocated. Advances in technology and global trading have been the culprits in this shifting of the workforce; due to this, there has been an economic downturn in the areas affected by these plant closures. The federal and state governments have allocated resources to ensure that the dislocated workforce is retrained and educated through local community colleges in order to diversify and upgrade the workforce. The Trade Readjustment Act (TRA), which is a federal law that allows for displaced workers to be retrained are processed through job centers, which assists those workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. The basic qualifications for unemployment benefits are to be unemployed through no fault of one’s own and to be able and available for work. The aforementioned qualifications are suited to those individuals who have had the unfortunate experience of being laid off from a manufacturing plant. The local job center offices work closely with other state agencies and local community colleges. Community colleges act as a vehicle for the training, and the job center’s objective is to then assist the worker, not only with its benefits and other programs, but also to assist the worker in becoming reemployed once they have been successfully retrained.

Community colleges in Western North Carolina have enrolled many displaced workers who lack basic academic skills and are unable to find jobs. This study focused on the problem of displaced workers with low academic skills who rarely advance beyond Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes for retraining in high-tech job skills. The purpose of this single case study was to determine the barriers that prevent functionally illiterate displaced workers or nontraditional students enrolled in ABE programs from completing ABE classes and advancing to retraining programs. The adult learning styles and learning impediments framework were used to study what prevented student advancement beyond the ABE programs. Eight students were purposefully identified and agreed to participate in the study. The student participants completed open-ended questionnaires, participated in semi-structured individual interviews, and were observed in a classroom environment. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive coding and thematic analysis. The study produced 2 key themes that may help students succeed: (a) ABE instructors should adapt teaching methods to adult learning styles, and (b) the primary focus of ABE programs should be on the improvement of basic English language skills. The results of this study can be used by ABE directors, ABE instructors, and community college administrators as they seek to improve adult learning in ABE programs, increase students' technical skills, and get displaced workers back to work.

Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2005. / Bibliography: leaves 125-142.

The purpose of this paper is to study the unemployment and reemployment experiences of displaced workers. Two mines were shut down in 1978 in Utah: the Park City Ventures Mine located in Park City and the Burgin ~line located in Eureka. Data were collected from questionnaires mailed to all the displaced workers of both mines and from personal interviews conducted with mine officials, officials of formal job-search agencies, and union representatives. The shutdoMl at Park City Ventures affected 350 workers, and the shutdown at the Burgin Mine affected 153. Both mines qualified for and were certified for Trade Readjustment Act benefits. The paper is divided into four major parts: personal characteristics, job-search activities, financial status and public assistance programs, and workers' subjective feelings, in that order.

Workers across the United States are painfully aware of the changes in the work environment. Downsizing, mergers, globalization, re-engineering, outsourcing, automation, and computerization have resulted in the displacement of 10 to 20 million workers in the 1990’s. Counselors in community colleges and elsewhere, have been called upon to assist displaced workers in returning to the ranks of the employed. Traditional career assessment methods have not always met the unique needs of these individuals in measuring skill development and often need to be supplemented with less conventional methods (Liptak, 1991). The purpose of this study was to design and to evaluate a counseling tool termed the Leisure/Occupational Connection Search (LOCS). The LOCS was a non-traditional self directed, self assessment method designed to promote self awareness and occupational exploration processes through a retrospective analysis of leisure skills. The LOCS used a search format, patterned after the Virginia VIEW Occupational and College Searches, and related leisure activities/skills directly to the 300 occupations listed in the Virginia VIEW or indirectly to occupations by way of additional training or education. The study involved 112 displaced workers enrolled in classes in the fall of 1996 at six Virginia community colleges. The displaced workers completed the LOCS and then evaluated the LOCS process in promoting self awareness and occupational exploration. Results of the study indicated the vast majority of the displaced workers who completed the LOCS process reported it promoted self awareness and a retrospective analysis of skills. In addition, the displaced workers reported an increased awareness of educational and occupational options after completing the LOCS. The 112 displaced workers responded positively to the LOCS process and indicated it was helpful, interesting, easy to use, and was helpful in aiding their career transitions. / Ph. D.

Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2002. / Restricted until May 2003. Bibliography: leaves 167-180.

No description available.

Companies are constantly involved in automating processes to make them more efficient. Project details concentrate on corporate details. Little, if any, information is released about employees and how they are affected. This study is designed to determine if employees affected by the automation of a manufacturing or business process have a better life and consider themselves to be successful from their own perspective 5 years after the automation was completed. The study also established the things that helped and barriers that hindered their success. A survey was developed and sent to 63 individuals who have participated in a project to automate a manufacturing or business process. Their direct involvement could be through design, development, or general workforce operations. Plant operators and operations personnel were affected by automation in a much harsher manner than design and development personnel resulting in a greater need for future training.

This study examines the factors that contributed to the failure of retrenched Telkom workers to start and run successful businesses after the company had provided them with start-up capital and also funds for training. Many of the factors contributing to the majority of Telkom retrenched employees not establishing businesses will be identified and recommendations that companies could implement in the future to limit the failure of businesses of retrenched employees will be made. The study was descriptive, exploratory and qualitative in nature. Semi-structured interviews and a survey questionnaire specifically developed for this study were used to gather data. The study was conducted on ex-employees of Telkom residing in and around the townships and suburbs situated on the western side of Johannesburg (Mogale City, Randfontein and Soweto). Telkom provided retrenched employees with funds to attend external training so that they could be equipped to start and run their own businesses. Subsequently, Telkom also provided start-up capital so that these employees could start small businesses after they had left the company. Although the funds were provided, most employees did not utilise them to start their businesses and the few that did access the funds and start businesses experienced the failure of their businesses within a very short period of time. Three major issues of concern were identified: many of these ex-employees did not utilise the funds that were allocated for training; many did not make use of the start-up capital and the majority did not start businesses. The study investigated the following issues: a) Why the retrenched employees did not make use of the funds allocated for training b) Why the ex-employees did not make use of the start-up capital c) Why the ex-employees did not start businesses d) Of those that did start businesses, why did they fail within such a short period of time? The findings of the study confirm that most of the retrenched employees did not access either the training or the start-up funds. Detailed reasons for why the funds were not made use of are given and recommendations are also made for what the company should do in future if deciding to embark on a similar exercise. / Business Management / M. Tech. (Business Administration)

Essay 1: Several countries practice a system where laymen, who lack legal education, participate in the judicial decision making. Yet, little is known about their potential influence on the court rulings. In Sweden lay judges (nämndemän) are affiliated with the political parties and appointed in proportion to political party representation in the last local elections. This paper investigates the influence of their partisan belonging when ruling in asylum appeals in the Migration Courts, where laymen are effectively randomly assigned to cases. The results show that the approval rate is affected by the policy position of the laymen's political parties. In particular, asylum appeals are more likely to be rejected when laymen from the anti-immigrant party the Swedish Democrats participate, and less likely to be rejected when laymen from the Left Party, the Christian Democrats or the Green Party participate. This indicates that asylum seekers do not receive an impartial trial, and raises concerns that laymen in the courts can compromise the legal security in general. / Essay 2: Although economic circumstances have been argued to be a major determining factor of attitudes to redistribution, there is little well identified evidence at the individual level. Utilizing a unique dataset, with detailed individual information, provides new and convincing evidence on the link between economic circumstances and demand for redistribution (in the form of social benefits). The Swedish National Election Studies are constructed as a rotating survey panel, which makes it possible to estimate the causal effect of economic changes. The empirical analysis shows that individuals who experience a job loss become considerably more supportive of redistribution. Yet, attitudes to redistribution return to their initial level as economic prospects improve, suggesting that the effect is only temporary. Although a job loss also changes attitudes to the political parties, the probability to vote for the left-wing is not affected. / Essay 3: A well-functioning labor market is characterized by job reallocations, but the individual costs can be vast. We examine if individual's ability to cope with such adjustments depends on their cognitive and non-cognitive skills (measured by the enlistment tests). Since selection into unemployment is a function of skills, we solve the endogeneity of a job loss by using the exogenous labor market shock provided by the military base closures in Sweden following the end of the Cold War. We find, first, that, on average, labor earnings decrease and unemployment and labor-related benefits increase for those affected. Second, there are heterogeneous treatment effects in terms of unemployment; the treated individuals with high non-cognitive and cognitive skills face lower unemployment effects than the treated individuals with low non-cognitive and cognitive skills.