Jewelry designer Alex and Ani LLC will open a professional development center in a Weybosset Street building it has purchased. The location will also house a new retail location will open in late August, CEO Giovanni Feroce told Providence Business News. more

Around the country, and right here in Rhode Island, the voices that support adult education and workforce development as an integral part of an overall strategy to improve the national and local economy cannot be ignored. more

One of the major talent pipelines bringing a steady stream of young doctors to Rhode Island is the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington. Twelve graduates – more than 10 percent of its 2012 graduating class of 110 – accepted residencies at hospitals in Providence, many choosing a primary care career path. more

The challenge of finding jobs for the unemployed in manufacturing, as in many industries, is complicated by an apparent mismatch between job openings and qualified workers. more

EAST GREENWICH – The New England Institute of Technology will serve as the only regional location for Pixar Animation Studios’ “Masterclass in Animation and Story Development,” a two-day workshop on Oct. 12-13 at the school’s campus. more

Amidst all the public gnashing of teeth over the workplace “skills gap,” one large employer has taken solving the problem into its own hands. And it might just be a model that more companies could emulate. more

Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee has been named to the National Governors Association Education and Workforce Committee by NGA Chair, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and NGA vice chair, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin. more

In the U.S., “middle class” is not just an income category. It’s a cultural norm. more

Rhode Island will receive $3.3 million from the U.S. Labor Department as part of $20.7 million in Disability Employment Initiative funding nationwide. more

Until now, when an employer mentioned the skills gap, the sticking point seemed to be technical in nature. more