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This course introduces participants to the history, philosophies, structures, and approaches to workforce education, on national, regional, and local levels. The purpose of this course is to introduce or reintroduce the learner to the history, philosophical underpinnings, and organization of the workforce education system with a primary focus on the United States’ structure. Because this is a nearly boundless topic the course uses a seminar method whereby the learners choose, research, and present on the areas of interest to them. At the end of the course the participants will be able to identify and discuss the history, philosophy, and reasons for some of the key ideas within the workforce education field including but not limited to:
a. History and structure of the Workforce Education (WFED) system
b. Foundations of WFED
c. WFED policies and agencies
d. Current issues within WFED
e. Future trends in WFED
Dr. Tobin Lopes has been practicing and studying the field of workforce education and development since 1995. In addition to his work with Colorado State University, he most recently developed the curriculum for an executive-level hybrid graduate program for the University of Colorado Denver and was a workforce policy analyst for the City and County of Denver. He holds a Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development with a minor in Applied Statistics from Pennsylvania State University, a M.Ed. in Adult Education and Training from Colorado State University, and a B.A. in Mathematics from Claremont McKenna College. Tobin's research interests include evaluation and assessment, hybrid learning and teaching methods for adults, career development, and quantitative research methods.