Skills for Tomorrow's Workforce Srijati Ananda, Stanley Rabinowitz, Lisa Carlos and Kyo Yamashiro, 1995 8 pages. Abstract Growing unease about the United States' declining manufacturing base, shrinking economic edge and trade imbalance has led many to look toward national systems of voluntary standards as a means for improving student and worker performance. This Policy Brief reviews issues surrounding standards-based reform, with a particular eye on the use and integration of industry skill standards. It discusses the history and evolution of the role of schools in worker preparation, describes types of standards currently under development, proposes ways to create a more coherent standards infrastructure, and elaborates on the tensions that must be navigated at various stages of standards development and implementation. Summaries of statesÕ progress in integrating industry skill standards within other reforms are also included, with particular attention to the states in the Far West Laboratory region: Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. State-level contacts as well as a list of bibliographic references are also provided.