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Abstract

In a knowledge-based, global economy, the ability of geographic regions to upgrade workforce skills is a determinant of corporate competitiveness. Several East Asian regions, namely Singapore and Penang, Malaysia, offer examples of effective workforce planning and development policies and programs over recent decades. Information about workforce planning and development institutions in these locations permits the evaluation of workforce development efforts in an urbanized region in the United States, the Cleveland metropolitan area. If one takes into account ideological, economic, and cultural differences, two factors stand out as influential for effective workforce planning and organization: (a) the availability of incentives to leverage employer demand for workforce development and (b) the fostering of tight demand-supply linkage. The implications of workforce quality as a regional public good and the need for institutional adaptation in U.S. regions to address workforce development are discussed.

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Lessons for Regional Workforce Development: East Asian Experiences

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