Case Study: A Systematic Review of the Most Effective Career Training Programs for a Workforce Board

A systematic review was conducted for a state-sponsored workforce board, a non-profit quasi-governmental workforce development organization located in the northeastern U.S., to determine what are the most effective career training programs in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, hospitality, and marine economy industries for job seekers in U.S. based organizations. The absorptive capacity theory was utilized in examining the research problem through a theoretical lens. The results indicated that on-the-job training (OJT) was found to be the most effective training technique across all the industries. Career advising was also considered a crucial element of career training within the healthcare, hospitality, and marine economy industries. Recommendations for the workforce board included revamping their current OJT program and connecting with career advisors at the local high schools. Industry-specific recommendations for the workforce board included providing academic support in healthcare, workforce flexibility in advanced manufacturing, multilingual training in hospitality, and exposure to oceanic concepts in academics for the marine economy.