The Minnesota Workforce Center System is a product of federal legislation, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Certain aspects of the legislation, like the Dislocated Worker Program, can be characterized as workforce development activities that seek to contribute to the vision of developing a skilled workplace that is competitive in global markets. However these services may not be as effective as desired because workforce development services operate under a complex governance structure based on meeting federal performance goals. This study conducted an inquiry into the perceived effectiveness of the Dislocated Worker Program through participants' perceptions. The results may stimulate the debate on public policies affecting dislocated workers.

This study used a hermeneutic phenomenological design. For the purpose of this study, the method was selected with the objective of developing a deep understanding of the lived experiences, and how participants described their existential understanding of the experience. Participants for the study were recent dislocated workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants who were offered services through the Minnesota Workforce Centers.

Based on the reflections from the study, themes revolved around the issues of the meaning of working, opinions on services offered by the state, and the stresses of career counseling and job searches.

There are many opportunities for HRD to contribute to future research on Workforce Development. Additional research on the experiences of specific groups based on gender or race, which was not the goal of this study, is open to further investigation. Greater conceptual and methodological attention is also needed to understand and predict how Workforce Development services might change over time.