This report was developed for workforce development professionals in the United Kingdom; however, it highlights career pathways and cluster programs in several States. From the profiles of the different programs, lessons learned and policy implications are drawn which are helpful to those in the U.S. wishing to replicate a career pathway model.

This toolkit, provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, provides a guide for States and localities interested in developing a career pathways initiative. The toolkit centers around six key elements that are essential to developing an initiative. Promising practices are highlighted, and specific tools are included in this step by step, user friendly resource for human service administrators.

The United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report that examined long-term unemployment (more than 27 weeks), entry into and out of long-term spells of unemployment, and the effect of long-term unemployment on average wages. The period of study covered the mid-1980s through 2009. More than 22 percent of the men in the study experienced at least one long-term spell of unemployment from their labor market entry through 2009. On average, the first long-term unemployment spell lasted 55 weeks. The majority of men eventually found another job, although the average hourly wage declined more than 17 percent from two years before the beginning of the first long-term unemployment spell to the year after it began. Hourly wages began to trend upwards in the years following the first long-term unemployment spell. However, four years after onset of the first long-term unemployment spell, average hourly wages were still at seven percent below what they were four years before the spell began.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy released the "Soft Skills to Pay the Bills" video series and discussion guide on DVD. The activities in this publication were created to provide an introduction to the "basics" of soft skills. These materials have been designed with youth service professionals in mind – specifically, those working with in-school and out-of-school youth, ages 14 to 21, on career and workforce readiness skills. The basic foundation for the structure of these activities includes convenience, cost-effectiveness, and creativity.

The National Governors' Association (NGA) announced a new year-long initiative, detailed in the brief, "America Works: Education and Training for Tomorrow's Jobs." The initiative will concentrate on improvement of the education and workforce training systems, as well as alignment of those systems with the needs of individual State economies.

The Urban Institute released a report discussing the community of the long-term unemployed. Individuals who have been out of work for more than 26 weeks (the long-term unemployed) tend to be less educated and are more likely to be non-white, unmarried, disabled, impoverished, and to have worked previously in the construction industry and construction occupations. The long-term unemployed have much more in common with workers who are newly unemployed and workers who have become discouraged and dropped out of the labor force. This suggests that solutions to long-term unemployment may be effective for other workers who have experienced other forms of labor market distress.

The National Literacy Trust released a report outlining the level of importance young individuals place on literacy skills in regards to their employment prospects. In addition, it briefly outlines the vital role that technology plays in the lives of young individuals and the degree to which this is linked to wider employment skills. A complementary report presents evidence on employers' views on literacy and employability.

This brief from the Transitional Jobs Network highlights a variety of models currently being used to connect homeless individuals with employment. Models highlighted include transitional jobs, individualized placement support, alternative staffing, customized employment, contextualized basic adult education, adult education bridge programs, and sector-based training. Within each model, a program example is provided for readers to better understand how the strategy is being used in the real world.

The National Transitional Jobs Network (NTJN) released a report that focuses on the designing and implementing of transitional jobs (TJ) programs that serve individuals experiencing homelessness. This report is particularly beneficial for TJ practitioners looking to better serve their participants who are experiencing homelessness, homeless service providers considering TJ as a potential employment services model, and anyone interested in how the TJ model can be used to provide access to employment for people experiencing homelessness.

This report from Aspen Institute's Workforce Strategies Initiative discusses the challenges of work in the direct-care, residential construction, restaurant and retail industries. It includes profiles of organizations and describes the strategies they are using to improve job quality in these industries.