Since prehistoric times, humans have invented ways to simplify daily activities to improve productivity. The most recent milestone in this journey is robotic process automation (RPA), helping to build software robots that can be leveraged to automate mundane and repetitive tasks that can be labor-intensive and prone to errors. In recent years, RPA has been integrated with emerging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to create what is referred to as intelligent automation (IA), emulating human actions and decision-making abilities. This book addresses the critical questions about the rise, usage, and future of IA practices. This book is structured by general personas considered as its primary target audience, ranging from: Early-stage practitioners seeking to learn effective management of IA programs Established IA practitioners seeking to drive maturity and scale Business leaders seeking to understand how to drive business value using IA Practitioners or academicians seeking to collaborate This book is strongly recommended for practitioners seeking to plan, implement, and scale IA practices in their organization and for researchers and students who intend to study strategy, implementation, and management of IA practice to accelerate the digital transformation agenda.

Skilled technical occupationsâ€"defined as occupations that require a high level of knowledge in a technical domain but do not require a bachelor's degree for entryâ€"are a key component of the U.S. economy. In response to globalization and advances in science and technology, American firms are demanding workers with greater proficiency in literacy and numeracy, as well as strong interpersonal, technical, and problem-solving skills. However, employer surveys and industry and government reports have raised concerns that the nation may not have an adequate supply of skilled technical workers to achieve its competitiveness and economic growth objectives. In response to the broader need for policy information and advice, Building America's Skilled Technical Workforce examines the coverage, effectiveness, flexibility, and coordination of the policies and various programs that prepare Americans for skilled technical jobs. This report provides action-oriented recommendations for improving the American system of technical education, training, and certification.

Strengthen programs of family and community engagement to promote equity and increase student success! When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students′ education, more students succeed in school. Based on 30 years of research and fieldwork, the fourth edition of the bestseller School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, presents tools and guidelines to help develop more effective and more equitable programs of family and community engagement. Written by a team of well-known experts, it provides a theory and framework of six types of involvement for action; up-to-date research on school, family, and community collaboration; and new materials for professional development and on-going technical assistance. Readers also will find: Examples of best practices on the six types of involvement from preschools, and elementary, middle, and high schools Checklists, templates, and evaluations to plan goal-linked partnership programs and assess progress CD-ROM with slides and notes for two presentations: A new awareness session to orient colleagues on the major components of a research-based partnership program, and a full One-Day Team Training Workshop to prepare school teams to develop their partnership programs. As a foundational text, this handbook demonstrates a proven approach to implement and sustain inclusive, goal-linked programs of partnership. It shows how a good partnership program is an essential component of good school organization and school improvement for student success. This book will help every district and all schools strengthen and continually improve their programs of family and community engagement.