Drawing from a wide array of case studies, this book analyses best-practice local strategies for increasing workforce skills. And it also takes a close look at the opportunities and challenges presented by international migration. The in-depth case studies in this report range from Shanghai’s “Highland of Talent Strategy” to new “career ladders” which help immigrants escape low-skilled, low-paid employment in New York. National and local-level recommendations on local skills development are provided, for both OECD and non-OECD countries.

Executive Summary
PART I. INTERNATIONAL OVERVIEW
Chapter 1. Local Strategies for Developing Workforce Skills
-Why tackle skills at the local level?
-Three aspects of developing a balanced local skills strategy
-Two examples of balanced strategies: Shanghai and Michigan
-Obstacles to a balanced approach
-Conclusions and recommendations
-Bibliography
Chapter 2. Addressing the Loss of Skills to International Migration
-The problems and opportunities posed by migration
-Local strategies for the management of migration processes
-Conclusions and recommendations
-Bibliography
PART II. CASE STUDIES
Chapter 3. The Shanghai "Highland of Talent" Strategy
-Introduction
-Skills strategies in Shanghai
-Attraction and retention of talent
-Upgrading the skills of the current labour force
-Integrating hard-to-reach groups into the skills development system
-Implementation and allocation of tasks to different stakeholders
-Conclusion
-Bibliography
-Annex 3.A1. Shanghai Data Summary
Chapter 4. Michigan Regional Skills Alliances: A Statewide Initiative to Address Local Workforce Needs
-Introduction
-Profile of Michigan’s economy
-Development of the Michigan regional skills alliance initiative
-Overview of the 13 selected MiRSAs
-Governance issues
-Outcomes and value added
-Conclusions
Chapter 5. The Choctaw Tribe of Mississippi: Managing Skills For Workforce Transformation
-Introduction
-The context: rapid economic change
-Designing effective strategies
-The implementation framework
-Performance management and evaluation tools
-Collaboration and regional co-operation
-Impact
-Conclusions
-Bibliography
Chapter 6. Addressing Skills Shortfalls in Mackay, Australia
-Introduction
-The national context
-The State of Queensland and the skills plan
-The Mackay Region
-Strategies for tackling skills shortages and skills strategies in Mackay
-Conclusions
-Bibliography
-Annex 6.A1. The Australian Skills Context: Background Information
Chapter 7. From Crane to Torso: Local Skill Strategies in the City Of Malmö
-Introduction
-The key axes of the strategy
-Impacts: the changing local context
-Conclusions.
-Bibliography
Chapter 8. New York City Career Pathways: Skills Strategies for Low-paid Immigrants
-Introduction
-Assessing the local context
-The focus of the study
-Designing effective career pathways
-The pathway development process
-Future plans
-Conclusions
-Bibliography
-Annex 8.A1. Overview of the Cuny Career Pathway Programmes
Glossary