Workforce Policy &amp; Practice

Suddenly Virtual

Related Experts

Liana Lin

Carousel Enabled

Off

Language

English

Featured Image

Excerpt

As the public workforce system continues to redefine and refine remote service delivery, many local workforce areas are converting their traditional in-person workshop content on job search skills into recorded PowerPoints they post to the Internet. For many job seekers, this can be overwhelming, providing them with too much information to absorb at a time when they are already stressed by information overload. Microlearning — a strategy that breaks longer content into smaller, hyper-focused lessons — offers an alternative approach that staff can use to deliver job search skill development programming.

A new blog post by Amanda Bombino and Liana Volpe examines the concept and benefits of microlearning. It also provides detailed descriptions of two microlearning strategies — audiovisual media-based microlearning and interactive microlearning — and the technology tools that support microlearning strategy development and delivery. Readers should note that the Heldrich Center is not endorsing any of the proprietary products mentioned in the blog post.

Amanda Bombino is a Research Intern and Liana Volpe is a Research Associate at the Heldrich Center.

Tagline

A new blog post examines the concept and benefits of microlearning for the workforce development system.

Evaluation of the National Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:17:09 +0000

Evaluation of the National Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN)

Topic

technical assistance center

employment research

admin Mon, 10/26/2020 - 23:17

Published Date

October 3, 2019

Status

Current

Funded By

U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy through the Cornell Yang-Tan Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Work Category

Unemployment & Reemployment

Featured Image

Excerpt

In 2019, the U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy awarded Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations’ Yang-Tan Institute a four-year agreement to operate an employer-focused disability and employment research, policy development, and technical assistance center. The Heldrich Center is one of several partners in the Cornell consortium. The Heldrich Center serves as the independent evaluator for the major activities in the EARN project over the course of four consecutive years. The primary purpose of the evaluation activities under the EARN consortium is to develop data-driven feedback loops so improvements can be continuously made to improve outcomes, and ultimately the overall goal of the project: to increase the capacity of employers to recruit, hire, retain, and advance people with disabilities

Tagline

The Heldrich Center serves as the independent evaluator for the major activities in the EARN project over the course of four consecutive years.

Research on Implications of Displacement for Older Workers

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:17:09 +0000

Research on Implications of Displacement for Older Workers

Topic

admin Mon, 10/26/2020 - 23:17

Published Date

October 3, 2019

Status

Current

Funded By

AARP Public Policy Institute

Work Category

Featured Image

Excerpt

The Heldrich Center is conducting research on the implications of displacement for older workers, whether caused by shifts in technology, automation, offshoring, climate change, less stable work arrangements, wage stagnation, income inequality, or other catalysts. The research looks to review the current — and inadequate — landscape for worker adjustment transition assistance in the United States. It also seeks to explore what the United States can learn from other countries, as well as from promising state, local, nonprofit, or private-sector initiatives. Based on the research findings, the Heldrich Center will offer a set of policy recommendations that may relate to education and training, unemployment insurance and income support, portable benefits, early intervention, and layoff aversion to help older American workers cope with and prepare for future dislocations.

Tagline

Research on the implications of displacement for older workers.

Process Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Services in Camden County, New Jersey

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:17:07 +0000

Process Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Services in Camden County, New Jersey

Topic

admin Mon, 10/26/2020 - 23:17

Published Date

March 22, 2014

Status

Funded By

New Jersey Department of Human Services

Work Category

Workforce Development Partnership

Featured Image

Excerpt

In 2002, the Heldrich Center conducted a comprehensive process evaluation of welfare-to-work services in Camden County, New Jersey to profile the array of services provided in the county and to identify areas where the system could be strengthened. The evaluation featured extensive, in-depth site visits to all service providers in Camden County, focus groups with recipients, in-depth interviews with program staff and stakeholders, analysis of administrative data, and a telephone follow-up survey of individuals receiving services.

Tagline

Evaluation of welfare-to-work services in Camden County, New Jersey.

Evaluation of Workforce Services for the State of New Jersey

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:17:05 +0000

Evaluation of Workforce Services for the State of New Jersey

Topic

WDP

PEPP

Parolee Enrollment Placement Program

New Jersey

workforce services

admin Mon, 10/26/2020 - 23:17

Published Date

January 1, 2013

Status

Funded By

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Work Category

Featured Image

Excerpt

From 2013 to 2015, the Heldrich Center conducted an evaluation of three components of the state’s workforce system; these included: (1) a comprehensive review and program evaluation of the state’s federally financed One-Stop Career Center (American Job Center) system; (2) a program evaluation of the Workforce Development Partnership (WDP) program, a state-funded customized training program for unemployed workers; and (3) a program evaluation of the state’s Parolee Enrollment Placement Program (PEPP). The center used qualitative and quantitative research methods to evaluate the various components, including an analysis of administrative and performance data, site visits, structured interviews, and focus groups with staff and job seekers. The methods used helped to provide a profile of One-Stop services, outcomes, and customers, as well as offer an overview of services, outcomes and customers of the WDP and PEPP programs. The center also conducted online and direct mail surveys of One-Stop staff and customers to assess general levels of satisfaction with center operations as well as customer service. Finally, the center conducted a quasi-experimental evaluation of the state’s training services resulting in an analysis of outcomes of participants receiving Individual Training Accounts in the state’s (former) Workforce Investment Act program as well as its state funded WDP program.

Tagline

Evaluation of New Jersey's workforce system.

Evaluation of the PepsiCo Achieving Change Together Employment Innovation Initiative

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:17:05 +0000

Evaluation of the PepsiCo Achieving Change Together Employment Innovation Initiative

Topic

admin Mon, 10/26/2020 - 23:17

Published Date

December 11, 2015

Status

Funded By

A grant from the Kessler Foundation and the Poses Foundation.

Work Category

(OLD) Related Experts

Laurie Harrington

Featured Image

Excerpt

From 2014 to 2016, the Heldrich Center conducted an implementation evaluation for the Kessler Foundation and the Poses Foundation of the Achieving Change Together (ACT) Employment Innovation Initiative, a corporate disability and inclusion project designed to increase the number of qualified employees with disabilities working for PepsiCo, and to improve their employment outcomes and career experiences. With assistance from the national not-for-profit Ability Beyond, Inc., PepsiCo implemented the ACT initiative in eight pilot sites across the nation, with specific components of the model replicated at each site. These components were designed to improve the application, screening, ranking, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding processes as well as retention at PepsiCo. The Heldrich Center conducted a process evaluation of the program and collected data through employee and hiring manager surveys, interviews with program operators as well as through the analysis of participant data collected by Ability Beyond.

Tagline

Evaluation of a corporate project designed to increase the number of employees with disabilities working for PepsiCo.

Evaluation of Kessler Foundation Community Employment Grant Grantees

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:17:04 +0000

Evaluation of Kessler Foundation Community Employment Grant Grantees

Topic

admin Mon, 10/26/2020 - 23:17

Status

Funded By

Kessler Foundation

Work Category

(OLD) Related Experts

Laurie Harrington

Featured Image

Excerpt

In 2015, the Heldrich Center was requested by the Kessler Foundation to begin performing regular evaluations of the foundation’s Community Employment Grant Program grantees, which are largely located in New Jersey. Similar to the center’s evaluations of the Kessler Foundation’s Signature Employment Grants, researchers used tested evaluation approaches to provide feedback to the Kessler Foundation on the effectiveness of the grant programs in meeting their stated goals and to provide feedback to grantees about the best ways to establish and manage their programs in order to maximize the probability that people with disabilities will be employed upon program completion. The Heldrich Center evaluated seven grantees.

Tagline

Evaluations of Kessler Foundation's disability employment grantees.

Evaluation of the Employment and Training Components of WorkFirst NJ

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:17:04 +0000

Evaluation of the Employment and Training Components of WorkFirst NJ

Topic

Education & Training

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

WorkFirst New Jersey

welfare-to-work

Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program

admin Mon, 10/26/2020 - 23:17

Published Date

June 1, 2017

Status

Work Category

Featured Image

Excerpt

The Heldrich Centered conducted a study of WorkFirst New Jersey (WFNJ), the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families welfare-to-work program between June and December 2017. This six-month study provided recommendations and a plan of action to strengthen the employment and training components of WFNJ. In order to receive cash assistance, most recipients in the WFNJ program, including those receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), must fulfill a certain amount of “work activity” hours (e.g., job search and readiness classes, on-the-job training, postsecondary education and training, and/or private-sector employment). The study examined the employment and training components through a comprehensive deep dive: into multiple aspects of the program and includes a diverse mix of stakeholder viewpoints and voices. Researchers conducted the following: five focus groups with welfare recipients; phone interviews with employers providing on-the-job training from different industries and regions; two external stakeholder advisory group meetings with employers, county and municipal welfare directors, workforce development board directors, One-Stop Career Center operators and managers, nonprofit leaders, and others; and an online survey of local and county service providers. A map of welfare recipient flow and services was compiled alongside an overview of programmatic data points and budgetary material. To complement this study of WFNJ, a national literature review was included to highlight best practices and innovative strategies. Finally, a policy forum was held on September 29, 2017 that informed New Jersey human services and workforce development leaders, providers, and policymakers of other states’ pioneering practices and sparked discussion to bring promising solutions to New Jersey.

Products:

Career Services Overview: HRA’s New Model (forum presentation)

Forum on Strengthening the Employment and Training Components of WorkFirst NJ (forum proceedings)

Lifelong Learning Initiative (forum presentation)

Measuring Employment Outcomes in TANF (forum presentation)

Strategies to Engage TANF Recipients (forum presentation)

Using Research to Improve Employment Outcomes for TANF Families (forum presentation)

Tagline

Study of WorkFirst New Jersey, the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families welfare-to-work program.

National Technical Assistance and Research Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing Employment and Economic Independence of Adults with Disabilities (NTAR Leadership Center)

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 23:16:58 +0000

National Technical Assistance and Research Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing Employment and Economic Independence of Adults with Disabilities (NTAR Leadership Center)

Topic

U.S. Labor Market & Industry

admin Mon, 10/26/2020 - 23:16

Published Date

April 5, 2016

Status

Funded By

U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy

Work Category