Job Seekers in Transition

The Heldrich Center has conducted many projects to explore the challenges that job seekers in transition face during their job search.

Recently, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) engaged the Heldrich Center to evaluate the Community Library Adult Literacy and Career Pathway (CLALCP) grant program, which complemented adult literacy services by providing an opportunity for literacy and career pathway training in New Jersey libraries. Center researchers conducted a process and outcomes evaluation for the CLALCP library grantees, which was designed to generate information for NJDOL and the grantees to make mid-course corrections to their respective programs. The Center utilized a variety of qualitative data collection methodologies and quantitative analyses to assess program implementation, including meetings with library grantees and site visits, structured interviews with key project stakeholders, participant focus groups, a post-program survey of participants, and a review of program data. The evaluation resulted in a comprehensive report that was published in March 2023.

Over the course of its seven years of operation, the New Start Career Network assisted over 6,000 long-term unemployed, older workers from New Jersey by providing free one-on-one and group coaching, job fairs, over 100 webinars, and a myriad of other services to support older job seekers in challenging times. One of the most significant innovations of the program was the use of volunteers to provide group and one-on-one coaching.

Using lessons learned from the implementation of the New Start Career Network, the Heldrich Center collaborated with staff from the New Jersey Office of Innovation on the development of the New Jersey Career Network (NJCN), a free resource to help job seekers find meaningful work. The website provides information on how to conduct a successful job search and the ability for job seekers to store their job applications. The site also allows users to complete a questionnaire to provide them with customized content, such as how to create accomplishment statements and how write a summary of their qualifications.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NJCN launched an online job seeker community that provided holistic support to New Jersey residents who were looking for work. With almost 1,200 members, NJCN hosted regular virtual meetings where members could discuss and troubleshoot their job search and posted curated content related to all aspects of the job search, including archived webinars, articles, job postings, and other resources. NJCN also sponsored weekly online meditation and yoga sessions, new member orientation sessions, and other events to support the job search.

Are you looking to assist job seekers in transition?

Reach out to hcwd@ejb.rutgers.edu to see how the Heldrich Center can help.