Announcement

Summer 2023 State Data Policy Internship Research

heldrich_robb — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 14:35:01 +0000

Summer 2023 State Data Policy Internship Research

Published Date

December 18, 2023

heldrich_robb Mon, 12/18/2023 - 14:35

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by Ahmad Salman Zafar

The Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, which administers the New Jersey Statewide Data System (NJSDS), held its State Data Policy Internship program in summer 2023. Three graduate students were selected for the program and completed training on project scoping and data analytics using NJSDS. This year’s summer interns were:

Darshan Senthil - Master of Science in Computer Science, Rutgers University
Akash Shanmugam - Master of Information Technology and Analytics, Rutgers University
Sasya Thanhallapally - Master of Science in Information Technology, Arizona State University

The Heldrich Center crafted projects for the interns based on the specific needs of the partnering state agencies, aiming to enhance interns' comprehension of administrative data and empower them to provide insights for informed decision-making in related areas.

Throughout the internship, participants received hands-on training in analyzing administrative data to identify trends in education and workforce dynamics. The primary focus was on presenting these findings to decision-makers. The internship emphasis was on unraveling complex data and transforming descriptive statistics into meaningful trends, providing an opportunity for the interns to further develop their careers in data analytics.

The culmination of these efforts resulted in a valuable set of findings, metrics, and data. The intention is for these resources to serve as a guide for decision-making within the relevant state agencies, aligning with their research objectives, programs, and vision. Each project provided important insights that provide a framework for future analysis.

Career and Technical Education (Darshan Senthil)

An important objective of New Jersey’s 2020 Combined State Plan for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is to facilitate adults in New Jersey to earn an industry-valued postsecondary credential or degree (New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 2020). Recent global workforce trends necessitate more opportunities for adults to gain credentials beyond high school. CTE offers opportunities to students to gain technical and soft skills to prepare them for job market during and after high school. Using NJSDS, this study tracked a cohort enrolled in industry-based postsecondary programs that the State of New Jersey has identified as industry-valued credentials to ascertain student completion and employment characteristics. Research findings indicate that the majority of the students were enrolled in computer and information sciences programs followed by accounting technology/technician and bookkeeping. More than one-third of CTE program enrollees were able to earn a credential in three years after enrollment and the majority of these completers attended community colleges in New Jersey. The majority of the CTE earners were male and the same pattern was observed while tracking completion and employment status of the cohort. An important highlight of the project is that the median quarterly wages of employed students increased steadily in each of the first four quarters post-completion. Future research may further investigate industries joined by CTE program beneficiaries in the state to provide insights by industry and geographic area in the state.

Analysis of Literacy Programs (Akash Shanmugam)

Adult and community-based education programs promote educational equity and provide a career advancement platform for those who may not receive formal education. Such programs are important to upskilling community members. LACES (Literacy, Adult, and Community Education System) is the student data management system designed specifically for adult and community education programs. In this project, the intern tracked educational and employment outcomes of a cohort enrolled in different literacy and adult education programs using NJSDS. This analysis included completion characteristics of different adult and community education programs and examined subgroup differences on race, gender, and program level to record any major disparities. Analysis of the LACES program indicates that more than two-thirds of the total program enrollees did not complete their respective programs. Employment rates increased gradually up to four quarters following program exit. Median quarterly incomes also increased slightly at the end of four quarters tracked for this project when compared to wages for the first quarter. This project builds a foundation for future work on this topic, highlighting salient features of the LACES program in the state and provides insights that could be useful for designing interventions to improve program outcomes and maximize benefits for the beneficiaries.

Economic Mobility (Sasya Thanhallapally)

Postsecondary education plays a crucial role in upward economic mobility. However, many enrolled students drop out of college due to financial constraints that hinder their long-term career prospects. Economic mobility aims to overcome these barriers by ensuring equal opportunities of academic and professional growth for all genders, races, and social and economic classes. Research suggests that demand for postsecondary education typically increases during periods of economic downturn and helps in reducing unemployment rates, which in turn has a positive impact on household income, health outcomes, and civic engagement (Hinh, 2023). It is particularly important for researchers to know about the trajectory high school graduates adopt to better inform policymaking around college education and workforce development to ensure economic mobility for the state. This project tracked postsecondary educational and employment outcomes for New Jersey students who entered college in 2012 and 2013. The focus of the project was to analyze the proportion of students who pursued and successfully attained a college degree. It also highlighted differences in average earnings among those who did and did not complete a degree, and underscored the prevalent subgroup differences in these two categories of college enrollees across gender, race, and region. The study also tracked the median income of students based on their academic standing, revealing that those who are earning the highest wages among the cohort earned greater than a 3.5 grade point average during college. Median earnings of students based on their enrolled major were also calculated, and the findings suggest that students who pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors in college earned more than their non-STEM counterparts on average. This project paves the way for future research around this topic, particularly difference in wages within program area based on their college completion status. Such insights will better inform policymaking in the state for designing programs to improve educational and economic outcomes to ensure upward economic mobility by promoting equity.

References

Hinh, I. (2023). Risk of recession highlights need for states to support higher education. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/blog/risk-of-recession-highlights-need-for-states-to-support-higher-education

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. (2020). New Jersey combined state plan. https://www.nj.gov/njsetc/planning/unified/documents/NJ%20Combined%20State%20Plan%20for%20WIOA%202020%20Approved%206-22-2020.pdf

Tagline

Discusses research studies conducted by New Jersey Statewide Data System interns during the summer of 2023.

Rockefeller Foundation Publishes Case Study about New Jersey Career Network

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:21:26 +0000

Rockefeller Foundation Publishes Case Study about New Jersey Career Network

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September 24, 2020

admin Thu, 10/22/2020 - 15:21

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The Rockefeller Foundation has released a new case study about the New Jersey Career Network, an initiative that seeks to improve services for job seekers in New Jersey. The case study features comments from Dr. Carl Van Horn, Director of the Heldrich Center and Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University, and Dr. Beth Simone Noveck, Chief Innovation Officer for the State of New Jersey. Noveck is also a Visiting Senior Faculty Fellow at the Heldrich Center.

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The Rockefeller Foundation has released a new case study about the New Jersey Career Network.

New Blog Post: Using Online Scheduling Services to Make Customer Appointments

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:21:26 +0000

New Blog Post: Using Online Scheduling Services to Make Customer Appointments

Published Date

August 25, 2020

admin Thu, 10/22/2020 - 15:21

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Liana Lin

Heather Allen

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Using Online Scheduling Tools for Customer Appointments

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As the need for remote teaming and virtual service delivery continues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline staff in the public workforce system continue to explore the ways in which technology can assist them with their essential job duties on a day-to-day basis. At this unique moment, technology may be able to assist with customer-facing job duties in ways that workforce professionals have not considered or needed prior to the pandemic, which forced extensive operational changes at the local level.

One area where frontline staff may want to seek alternatives is using online scheduling services to more efficiently arrange customer appointments. Online scheduling services can eliminate much of the time-consuming back and forth via phone or email when trying to make and/or change customer appointments. This frees up staff time to focus on more customer-facing, value-added tasks.

Online appointment scheduling services are technology tools that allow customers to schedule, reschedule, and cancel appointments through a web interface, without the need for staff assistance or involvement. If applied in the public workforce system, scheduling services could allow customers to schedule appointments with their career counselors in real time, with most of these technologies offering 24/7 web access via a computer or mobile device. Scheduling services instantly update a calendar when changes are made, thereby reflecting an up-to-date calendar at all times and eliminating any confusion or hassle in scheduling appointments.

A new blog post by Heldrich Center staff members Heather Allen, Amanda Bombino, and Liana Volpe reviews the benefits of online scheduling tools and previews three potential tools that public workforce offices might want to consider. Readers should note that the Heldrich Center is not endorsing any of these proprietary products.

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A new blog post reviews the benefits of online scheduling tools and previews three potential tools that public workforce offices might want to consider.

Microlearning Strategies: Another Approach to Virtual Workshop Delivery

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:21:25 +0000

Microlearning Strategies: Another Approach to Virtual Workshop Delivery

Published Date

August 11, 2020

admin Thu, 10/22/2020 - 15:21

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Liana Lin

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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.

Building the Clean Energy Workforce in New Jersey: Apprenticeships as a Pathway to Good-Paying, In-Demand Jobs

heldrich_robb — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 14:08:13 +0000

Building the Clean Energy Workforce in New Jersey: Apprenticeships as a Pathway to Good-Paying, In-Demand Jobs

Published Date

November 21, 2024

heldrich_robb Thu, 11/21/2024 - 14:08

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Announcement

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Industries and Sectors

Postsecondary Education and Training

Related Experts

Grace Maruska

Brittney Donovan

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Building the Clean Energy Workforce in New Jersey: Apprenticeships as a Pathway to Good-Paying, In-Demand Jobs

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by Brittney Donovan and Grace Maruska

In honor of the 10th anniversary of National Apprenticeship Week, we wanted to illustrate how apprenticeships can help meet the needs of the labor market related to the clean-energy transition in New Jersey. Commonly referred to as green jobs, occupations associated with the clean-energy transition are largely concentrated in environmental infrastructure and energy efficiency and require extensive, hands-on training and technical skills.[1] Recent studies by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey show the role that apprenticeships can play in providing workers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and expertise to help stakeholders carry out the clean-energy transition in New Jersey.[2]Apprenticeships are a preferable means of education and training, as compared to other training arrangements, because they are paid and offer an on-ramp to career pathways, particularly for disadvantaged groups often shut out of high-quality, good-paying employment opportunities.

Released in spring 2024, New Jersey’s Energy-Efficiency Workforce Needs, Infrastructure, and Equity Assessment includes strategic recommendations around expanding federally registered apprenticeships in the energy-efficiency sector in New Jersey. We emphasize that employers work closely with education and training providers to ensure that apprentices learn the right knowledge, develop the right skills, and earn the right credentials to meet industry needs. Collaboration is deeply important given the changing nature of the energy-efficiency sector, particularly technologies around decarbonization (e.g., electric heat pumps). We also urge education and training providers to recruit potential students from disadvantaged groups (e.g., women, people of color, low-income communities, formerly incarcerated individuals, people with disabilities, etc.) to address energy equity.[3] These apprenticeship opportunities provide on-ramps to career pathways related to the clean-energy transition in New Jersey.

Researchers at the Heldrich Center recently completed a workforce planning analysis for New Jersey’s Priority Climate Action Plan that recommends creating apprenticeships centered on career readiness and opportunities for youth across six priority areas: buildings, electric generation, halogenated gases, food waste, natural and working lands, and transportation. We propose using the New Jersey Apprenticeship Network — with its existing partnerships — to create new apprenticeships geared toward the priority areas. Examples include training electrician apprentices to install chargers for electric vehicles or solar photovoltaic technologies (i.e., solar panels); heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technician apprentices to use the latest heat-pump technologies; and farming apprentices to work the land. Such opportunities could be encouraged among youth in secondary schools to facilitate clear education-to-career pipelines in New Jersey.

These recent reports demonstrate how stakeholders involved with the clean-energy transition can use apprenticeships to provide the future workforce with the necessary knowledge, skills, and expertise. With targeted recruitment among disadvantaged groups, these on-ramp opportunities can help ensure equitable access to high-quality, good-paying green jobs as New Jersey transitions to clean energy.

[1] https://www.nj.gov/governor/climateaction/documents/CGE%20Roadmap.pdf

[2] Stakeholders include employers; education and training providers; community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and other nonprofits; and unions.

[3] Energy equity is the fair distribution of benefits from transitioning to clean energy, especially employment opportunities, to disadvantaged groups and historically underserved communities.

Tagline

New blog post examines how apprenticeships can help meet the needs of the labor market related to the clean-energy transition in New Jersey.

Then and Now: The Changing Landscape of Education Outcomes and Funding in the 21st Century

heldrich_robb — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 15:50:39 +0000

Then and Now: The Changing Landscape of Education Outcomes and Funding in the 21st Century

Published Date

October 17, 2024

heldrich_robb Thu, 10/17/2024 - 15:50

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Topic

Postsecondary Education and Training

Related Experts

Carl E. Van Horn, Ph.D.

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Then and Now: The Changing Landscape of Education Outcomes and Funding in the 21st Century

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The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta has released a new article analyzing wage disparities between workers with and without college degrees and the rising costs of higher education. The article traces tuition increases over the past two decades and how grant aid and student loan reliance have changed because of the tuition increases. It also highlights the ways historically Black colleges and universities and tribal colleges and universities are underfunded. The article aims to inform workforce practitioners and policymakers on improving economic mobility.

The article was written by Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., Director of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development and Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Nyerere Hodge, Senior Research Analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; and Stuart Andreason, Executive Director of Programs at the Burning Glass Institute and a member of the Heldrich Center’s National Advisory Board.

The article is the final part of a three-part series. The other articles in the series are:

Key Trends and Transformations in the 21st Century Labor Market

The Evolution of Key Worker Support Systems in the 21st Century

Tagline

New article analyzes wage disparities between workers with and without college degrees and the rising costs of higher education.

Unlocking Potential: Key Lessons from Kessler Foundation’s Signature Grants on Employment for People with Disabilities

heldrich_robb — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 15:06:40 +0000

Unlocking Potential: Key Lessons from Kessler Foundation’s Signature Grants on Employment for People with Disabilities

Published Date

October 17, 2024

heldrich_robb Thu, 10/17/2024 - 15:06

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Announcement

Topic

Disability Employment Research

Related Experts

Renée Edwards, Ph.D.

Domonique Noel

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Unlocking Potential: Key Lessons from Kessler Foundation’s Signature Grants on Employment for People with Disabilities

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The Heldrich Center is pleased to share a recently released white paper from Kessler Foundation that explores the successes and challenges faced by 21 national programs that used grant funding from Kessler to offer training, career development, and job opportunities for people with disabilities. The paper provides a roadmap for professionals in grantmaking, workforce development, disability employment, and human resources who are seeking to offer employment initiatives for people with disabilities.

In addition to the white paper, Kessler has provided a series of questions and answers about the paper, its findings, and Kessler’s Signature Employment Grant program. Over the past two decades, Kessler has invested over $50 million through its Signature Employment Grants program to assist over 10,000 people with disabilities with training opportunities and in finding jobs.

The paper was written by Heldrich Center staff Renée Edwards, Ph.D., Assistant Director; Domonique Noel, Research Project Assistant; and Marjory Palius, Ed.D., former Research Project Manager.

Tagline

White paper explores the successes and challenges faced by 21 national programs offering training, career development, and job opportunities for people with disabilities.

William M. Rodgers III Departs Rutgers University for Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

heldrich_robb — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 22:08:36 +0000

William M. Rodgers III Departs Rutgers University for Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis heldrich_robb Wed, 06/19/2024 - 22:08

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William M. Rodgers III, Ph.D.

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William M. Rodgers III Departs Rutgers University for Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

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William Rodgers III, Ph.D. has resigned from his position as Professor at the Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and Chief Economist of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Dr. Rodgers will continue his association with the Heldrich Center as a Visiting Non-Resident Scholar. He will remain in his role as Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis--a position he has held since 2022 while on leave from Rutgers. He will also maintain the position of Director of the Bank’s Institute for Economic Equity.

Dr. Carl Van Horn, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Heldrich Center commented:

“I am deeply appreciative of the many contributions Bill made to the research and impact of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. I am certain he will continue to make important contributions to understanding the dimensions of economic equity in the U.S. economy.”

Dr. Rodgers joined Rutgers University in early 2004 and has been a vital member of the faculty for the past two decades, providing both New Jersey and the nation with important research on the economics of social challenges and the impacts of the jobless recovery of the Great Recession.

Dr. Rodgers commented:

“I am grateful to Rutgers for its sustained support of my research, service, and teaching activities. This steadfast and unwavering support enabled me to fulfill my mission which is to empower people and communities with economic thought and analysis; in particular, helping our students become lifelong learners, independent thinkers, and responsible citizens. One highlight was giving the faculty welcome at the 2014 and 2015 New Student Convocations. I look forward to my continued collaboration with Dr. Van Horn and the Heldrich Center.”

Dr. Rodgers is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. In October, he will be a 2024 recipient of the Academy’s Bob Ball Award, which is presented to an individual whose recent work has made a significant impact on the U.S. social insurance system. He also served as Treasurer for the Institute for Women's Policy Research, and prior to his position at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis , he was a Non-Resident Fellow at The Century Foundation. Rodgers has served in many public capacities, including on President Obama’s U.S. Department of Labor transition team, and as Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor from 2000 to 2001. He is a former Board member of the United Way of Northern New Jersey and the U.S. Board of United Way Worldwide. He has published articles in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, the Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, the Review of Black Political Economy, and Family Economics and Nutrition Review. He is also the author of the book, The Handbook on the Economics of Discrimination.

Tagline

William M. Rodgers III is leaving Rutgers University to continue in his position of Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, a position he has held since 2022 while on leave of absence from Rutgers.

New Jersey’s Energy-Efficiency Workforce Needs, Infrastructure, and Equity Assessment

heldrich_robb — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 13:20:58 +0000

New Jersey’s Energy-Efficiency Workforce Needs, Infrastructure, and Equity Assessment

Published Date

June 11, 2024

heldrich_robb Tue, 06/11/2024 - 13:20

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Announcement

Topic

Industries and Sectors

Workforce Trends Analysis

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New Jersey’s Energy-Efficiency Workforce Needs, Infrastructure, and Equity Assessment

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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s Energy Master Plan and Executive Order 315 set a goal to reduce fossil fuel usage to 100% clean energy by 2035. The Executive Order also called for implementing strategic recommendations from the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy, including targeted job creation, educational ecosystem alignment, and piloted workforce initiatives. Understanding the energy-efficiency sector — its current landscape, challenges, and areas for growth — is critical given these efforts, especially ensuring commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion in workforce development infrastructure.

The Heldrich Center, in partnership with the Built Environment and Green Building Group at the Center for Urban Policy Research, recently conducted a study to better understand and document community needs and areas for growth in training, recruiting, hiring, and retaining students, trainees, and workers from diverse backgrounds for the state’s energy-efficiency workforce; and to produce strategies for improving workforce development infrastructure for stakeholders to consider.

The Heldrich Center is pleased to release a new report, New Jersey’s Energy-Efficiency Workforce Needs, Infrastructure, and Equity Assessment, which details the findings from this study. The report presents 12 strategies for stakeholders to implement based on eight findings supported by evidence from labor market and job posting analyses, a survey, and interviews. By strengthening workforce development infrastructure, these strategies can support a diverse, skilled, and equitable workforce in ways that help New Jersey achieve its clean-energy goals.

The report was written by Heldrich Center staff members Brittney Donovan, research project coordinator; Grace Maruska, research project coordinator; Sahar Sherwani, graduate research assistant; and Stephanie Walsh, Ph.D., assistant director. The Heldrich Center, Built Environment and Green Building Group, and Center for Urban Policy Research are all based at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Tagline

Presents findings and recommendations from a study designed to better understand and document community needs and areas for growth in training, recruiting, hiring, and retaining students, trainees, and workers for New Jersey's energy-efficiency workforce.

Recent Media Coverage and Presentations

heldrich_robb — Thu, 30 May 2024 14:43:16 +0000

Recent Media Coverage and Presentations

Published Date

May 30, 2024

heldrich_robb Thu, 05/30/2024 - 14:43

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Announcement

Related Experts

Carl E. Van Horn, Ph.D.

Jessica Starace

Brittney Donovan

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Carl Van Horn was quoted in a recent Huffington Post article about the challenges of the job search for workers over the age of 50, including the implications of artificial intelligence and applicant tracking systems.

Brittney Donovan and Jessica Starace recently participated in the American Association for Public Opinion Research’s annual conference. The theme of the 2024 conference was “Impacting Communities: Surveys, Public Opinion Research, and Engaged Scholarship.” They presented two posters about recent Heldrich Center survey research and qualitative methods projects, including the center’s A Workplace Divided project.

Finally, a recent NEXTGOV/FCW article examines New Jersey’s new application for unemployment claims. The article features remarks from Michele Evermore, who conducted a Heldrich Center study in 2023 about New Jersey’s Unemployment Insurance modernization efforts.

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News story about recent media coverage of Heldrich Center research and recent presentations by center researchers.