Responding to diversity: Workforce intermediation in a transitioning regional economy

In this paper I examine workforce intermediation as a tool for regional economic transition. While most studies of workforce intermediation in the United States focus on targeted programs that work with less-advantaged socioeconomic groups, I examine strategies adopted by state-funded community colleges that have a more encompassing or universalistic mandate. Through a case study of North Carolinäs BioWork initiative I examine college-level strategies for assisting two distinct groups of job seekers in biopharmaceuticalsöthose with less education and traditional manufacturing backgrounds and those with college degrees and considerable technology experience. In documenting these strategies I suggest lessons for other regions seeking to influence local labor-market conditions and, in turn, balance the employment needs of diverse socioeconomic groups.