syNErgy: A Case Study in Workforce Curriculum Development

With high unemployment and structural changes to industry, workforce development in the United States is a growing concern. Many semiskilled workers lack knowledge, skills, and abilities to be competitive for reemployment to green jobs. Nebraska’s syNErgy research grant was introduced to address the training needs of unemployed and underemployed construction and related industry workers in the state. This study presents methods for determining the needs and developing the curricula for workforce development. Methodology is examined for its effectiveness in addressing an ongoing societal need. A series of curricula was developed for the purpose of retraining the State’s workforce in new and emerging green construction jobs. Research limitations and conclusions are discussed.