Workforce Development Insights

From Accenture: Young leaders are exemplifying new forms of responsible leadership to address the decade’s societal challenges. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, business and political leaders recognized that the 2020s require new strategies and commitments to address the world’s most pressing problems: climate change, economic fragility and inequality, the skills challenge and the negative consequences of some new technologies. Responsible leadership is crucial to creating value for all stakeholders. Click here to read more.

From The Annie E. Casey Foundation: Five young leaders from Southwest Atlanta have launched a research effort to better understand their peers’ educational and career aspirations and the barriers that stand in their way. These leaders — known as the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) — are launching an online survey with a goal of asking at least 400 Atlanta-based youth about their workforce development experiences, entrepreneurship interests, career pathways and other topics. The group hopes to use what they learn to help youth-serving organizations, policymakers, funders and city leaders expand economic opportunities for young people. Click here to read more.

From The Aspen Institute: T he new Omicron variant is currently sweeping across Europe and overwhelming many hospital systems. It has spurred a record-breaking number of Covid-19 cases in New York City. Meanwhile, disinformation about the virus and vaccines continues to run rampant on social media. As the world grapples with a new set of pandemic-related unknowns, the Aspen Institute recently hosted a series of virtual events where public health leaders addressed everything from variants and vaccine immunity to how to build trust during a time of scientific uncertainty. Click here to read more.

From Brookings: In spring 2020, millions of Americans lost or left their jobs. While many continued to search for work, ready to take a job, others left the labor force entirely. Even as the unemployment rate has fallen back to historically low levels, the labor force participation rate (LFPR, which measures the share of the population that is employed or is unemployed and looking for work) remains depressed. This report takes a deeper dive into who is returning to work—and who is not—to better understand how the balance of the recovery might unfold. Click here to read more.

From Center for American Progress: The response to the latest surge in cases should be shaped with two principles in mind. First, interventions should make it simpler, less costly, and more appealing for Americans to adhere to public health recommendations and empower them to make healthy choices for themselves, their families, and their communities. All Americans should have access to free supplies for risk mitigation such as masks and rapid tests—regardless of income, location, or individual or community vaccination status. Second, the response must acknowledge that the pandemic has severe negative consequences for everyone, including the vaccinated, and it must refocus on community—not just individual—health. Click here to read more.

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Families’ access to wealth has largely determined how the pandemic has affected them, with wealthier and higher-paid families more likely to avoid the worst health and economic effects. This divergence reflects both racial and class inequities, especially since wealthy families are disproportionately white. For example, high earners have been much less likely to lose their jobs than other workers due to COVID-19. Click here to read more.

From Corporation for a Skilled Workforce: Is it really the happiest time of the year? Vicki Choitz, CSW’s Director of Federal, State & Local Systems Change, ponders this question and more in an insightful piece on trauma and resilience. Click here to read more.

From Credential Engine: Today, many employers — particularly large employers — are exploring how they might hire and promote based on evidence of the specific set of knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions required for success in a particular context: what some have come to call competencies. In it, Vicki contextualizes the effects of trauma on workforce development clients and, in turn, workforce development staff. She highlights CSW’s trauma-informed and resilience-building work and the pressing need for investments in mental health supports and training. Click here to read more.

From the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta: In the summer of 2021, while some indicators suggested a robust economic recovery was under way, low- and moderate-income (LMI) households, communities that have experienced chronic disinvestment, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) continued to struggle across several dimensions. Community development organizations that provide these populations with housing, financial services, workforce training, and other important assistance were impacted by their increased volume, the changing needs of their constituents, and a changing policy landscape. From July to September 2021, we interviewed representatives of these organizations to better understand their challenges and successes. Click here to read more.

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From Gallup: With the omicron variant of the coronavirus looming as a threat to the U.S., Gallup’s final 2021 update to the COVID-19 Panel survey, conducted November 29th to December 5th, found Americans’ outlook for the pandemic worsened considerably. This bleaker forecast for the pandemic came on the heels of a more optimistic view of the pandemic’s trajectory in October. Click here to read more.

From Gallup Workplace Insights: Employees who were struggling or suffering in their lives this past March were about twice as likely to change jobs later in the year than those who were thriving. This finding poses significant management demands for organizations and has major financial implications for them going forward. The labor market in 2021 has given most employees the opportunity to look for alternative employment if their current work situation isn’t improving, or is contributing to the deterioration of, their overall lives. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has continued to report record increases in quit rates through the fall of 2021 — leading to the “Great Resignation.” Click here to read more.

From the International Association of Workforce Professionals: Less than half of Americans polled who lost their job during the pandemic and remain unemployed say they are actively and consistently looking for work, with one in five reporting that they are not looking for work at all, according to a new poll by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Fifty-six percent report that they believe they can get by for more than six months before it becomes essential to return to full time work, with 11 percent saying it will be more than a year before it is necessary to return to work, and 15 percent saying it will never be essential. Click here to read more.

From Jobs for the Future: In June 2020, PayPal made a commitment to spend $530 million to support businesses owned by Black Americans and other entrepreneurs of color and communities across the country that have experienced a lack of public and private investment. That’s one of the largest financial pledges any company made to address income inequality amid the nationwide reckoning with social injustice that followed George Floyd’s death. PayPal confirmed and expanded its commitment to fighting economic inequality in December 2020, when it pledged an additional $5 million for program grants to its community partners who are working to strengthen Black business owners through microloans, technical assistance, mentoring, and access to digital solutions. Click here to read more.

From JPMorgan Chase Institute: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented health and economic consequences and exacerbated existing inequalities — straining families’ economic mobility and restricting the U.S. economy. More than ever, decisionmakers need data-driven economic analysis with an inclusive lens. Over the last year, the JPMorgan Chase Institute continued to deliver groundbreaking research and expert findings on the financial health of US households and businesses aimed at helping policymakers, industry, and non-profit leaders make more informed decisions. Click here to read more.

From Manpower: In the biggest workforce shift and reallocation of skills since World War II began, those skills most in demand during the early phase of the crisis are different than the most in-demand roles we are seeing today and in the future. While a third of U.S. companies are reporting difficulty finding the talent they need, employer hiring expectations are on the rise, fueling the strongest hiring pace in 21 years. Click here to read more.

From McKinsey & Company: In any scenario for the future of the COVID-19 pandemic, much depends on the ways in which societies respond. Three levers are likely to be especially important, starting with the extent to which countries can effectively scale and make available new oral therapeutics with the potential to reduce the chance of progression to severe disease, and which are unlikely to be blunted by Omicron. Second, evidence is accumulating that booster doses are especially important for protecting against the Omicron variant; accelerating their rollout will help protect populations. And third, given public fatigue and the lessons of the past two years, finding the right combination of public-health measures will be critical. Click here to read more.

From Migration Policy Institute: Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care—that is, child care provided by relatives, friends, and community members in an unlicensed setting—is the most common form of child care in the United States. While many U.S. families rely on FFN care, it is particularly prevalent among immigrant and Dual Language Learner (DLL) families. Compared to formal center-based child care, FFN caregivers are more likely to share a language and culture with the families they serve, have flexible schedules, and cost less—making them the preferred or at times the only feasible child-care option for some families. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE): According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), overall, women earn approximately 82% of what their male counterparts do. Results from NACE’s First Destinations Survey for the Class of 2020 reveal that this gap begins as graduates exit college for the world of work—at the start of their careers. The data show that women with newly minted bachelor’s degrees earn an average of $52,266, compared to $64,022 earned by men, mirroring the overall differential in pay between men and women reported by BLS. The results dispel the myth that the gender pay gap results from women prioritizing family over career and thus begins later. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Counties (NACO): According to data released by the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) on November 29, state and local governments distributed almost $2.8 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program funds to over 510,000 households in October, level with the assistance provided in September. The ERA program provides direct funding to states and eligible units of local government, including counties with populations of over 200,000, to assist families struggling to make rental and utility payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of October 31, state and local ERA grantees have distributed nearly $13.6 billion in emergency rental assistance through 2.5 million payments to households across the country. Counties are working diligently at the local level to successfully implement the ERA program and keep our residents safely and stably housed through the pandemic and beyond. Click here to read more.

From the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB): We believe a job is more than a means to survival or prosperity, in large part because it has always been the primary means to those ends: to survival, our shared imperative, and prosperity, our shared aspiration. The implications of work have always been broad, and today, a job’s implications remain educational, intellectual, moral, and intensely personal and emotional. Labor is the backbone and pride of America’s economy. It’s the wellspring of our prosperity. Without zeal for work, would the United States look the same today? Without dignity at one’s work, and sustenance from one’s work, can a person possess that zeal? Click here to read more.

From the National Conference of State Legislatures: More afterschool and summer learning programs are offering STEM programs but many students lack access to them, according to a recent report. Afterschool Alliance reported how STEM-focused afterschool programs offer unique opportunities for youth in science, technology, engineering and math, including hands-on learning to reengage students as they transition back to in-person learning, connecting students to potential future careers, and empowering student agency and voice to build effective communication and teamwork skills. According to the research, girls and students of color are gaining more access to STEM learning opportunities. However, other inequities exist in access to STEM programming in afterschool between the lowest- and highest-income brackets. Barriers include the cost of programs, lack of transportations and lack of available programs. Click here to read more.
From the National League of Cities (NLC): Broadband internet has evolved from a cutting-edge luxury to an essential utility for participation in daily life. Without access to the internet over the course of the last year’s pandemic, people wouldn’t have been able to get lifesaving COVID-19 information from their local government, work or participate in school remotely or stay connected with loved ones. Unfortunately, not everyone benefits from this vital tool. Because of barriers in affordability, accessibility or availability and skills, an estimated 42 million residents in the United States do not have access to broadband at all, and 157.3 million live with slow or unreliable internet service. This must change. City leaders now have the opportunity to proactively address the digital divide in their communities. The federal government is distributing historic quantities of money in the coming months and years to expand broadband access and adoption – but are communities ready? Click here to read more.

From the National Fund for Workforce Solutions: As the year came to an end, we have seen additional ways that racial equity and inclusion guides our work. The National Fund’s Job Design Framework, the cornerstone of our approach to job quality, has been updated to include a frame of racial equity. You can’t design a quality job without considering equity at the start. We also added a fourth pillar of job design — worker voice — in combination with releasing our definition of worker voice. Workers thrive in jobs where they are empowered, engaged, and have agency. Equity and voice must be part of the job quality strategy. Click here to read more.

From the National Skills Coalition: In 2020, policymakers, service providers, and advocates worked quickly to provide immediate relief to individuals and families in response to the COVID19 pandemic. In 2021, these leaders began to shift their attention and priorities from crisis relief to long-term recovery. Driven by the efforts of NSC’s SkillSPAN network, several new investments and advancements were achieved across the country in support of an inclusive economic recovery. Click here to read more.

From Prosperity Now: Late last month, the Department of Treasury announced that it planned to redirect unallocated Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds from states that have not committed a significant share of these funds to those that have exhausted or nearly exhausted their allotments. Congress appropriated more than $45 billion for COVID-related rental relief, but most has yet to be deployed. New York, Texas and Oregon, for example, are among those states that have done well and could benefit from this decision. This matters, as the eviction crisis, like COVID, has not passed. With the expiration of the federal and some state and local eviction moratoria, evictions have quickly accelerated this fall. Local, state and federal eviction data collection and reporting are inadequate, so the extent of the crisis is not fully known. Available data most certainly underreport the crisis, which includes households who are illegally locked out of homes and those who vacate prior to courts formally posting eviction judgments. Millions of families remain at risk. Click here to read more.

From the Rework America Alliance: The Rework America Alliance, a Markle initiative, studied the job histories of 29 million people across more than 800 occupations to look at how to realize the potential of the more than 5.8M workers from low-wage roles currently unemployed and without a college degree. From this, the Alliance has identified actionable steps that can be taken to help these workers to return to work in better roles. Click here to read more.

From the Roosevelt Institute: As our economy continues down the path toward recovery, policymakers, philanthropies, and the nonprofit sector are looking to workforce training programs to address the persistent poverty and unemployment that many still face, especially in communities of color. While workforce training programs are not a silver bullet for reducing unemployment or for reducing overall earnings inequality, the relative labor market power workers and employers gain from these programs affects how much workers benefit from them. These power dynamics are often not considered by policymakers and practitioners, and as they currently exist serve to perpetuate outsized employer power. Click here to read more.

From the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): When we look to build diverse and inclusive workplaces, we sometimes forget to harness one of the biggest forces of change and inclusion: allyships. Let’s start with a definition. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines allyship as “supportive association with another person or group … specifically: such association with the members of a marginalized or mistreated group to which one does not belong.” True allyship grows in a culture of trust and accountability. Leadership should make a point to support and add visibility to underrepresented groups by ensuring all employees feel they have a chance to take part in meetings and be heard. How often have we been in meetings in which some team members are interrupted, or their comments aren’t acknowledged? These instances provide an opportunity for allies to stand up, correct the behavior by calling it out, and empower their fellow team members to bring forth ideas and innovation for the company. Click here to read more.

From Southern Regional Education Board (SREB): Teacher raises of up to 10% in recent years likely aren’t enough to help curb teacher shortages in many Southern states, as the cost of health insurance, inflation and the demands of teaching during the pandemic take a toll on the workforce. That finding is based on updated data from the Southern Regional Education Board’s Teacher Compensation Dashboard, an interactive tool that shows average teacher salaries, health insurance costs, retirement benefits and take-home pay in each of the 16 SREB states. Click here to read more.

From Strada Education Network: Strada’s prior research on undergraduate perceptions of the value of their education demonstrates that students value their education most when they receive support to connect their education and career interest In Strada’s nationally representative survey of college alumni, after controlling for differences in student characteristics, those who reported stronger connections to career as undergraduates were more likely to consider their education valuable, alongside other improved outcomes beyond completion. Click here to read more.

From WorkforceGPS: To ensure that apprenticeship opportunities are available to all workers, apprenticeship expansion efforts in the U.S. must be built on a commitment to equity and inclusion. When underrepresented populations participate and succeed in Registered Apprenticeship Programs, employers reach a larger and more diverse workforce pipeline and all workers have access to new career pathways through apprenticeships. Click here to read more.

From Workforce Monitor: The Non-degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN), a project of George Washington University’s Program on Skills, Credentials & Workforce Policy (PSCWP), hosted an informative webinar on Dec. 1, 2021 titled “Innovations in Community Colleges & IPEDS Update.” The webinar featured two complementary presentations on non-degree credentials given by Tamar Jacoby, President and CEO of Opportunity America, and Tara Lawley, Postsecondary Branch Chief, Administrative Data Division at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Click here to learn more.

From WorkingNation: As we move into the new year, the surge in the number of cases of COVID-19 threatens to disrupt the workforce once again. Medical research and anecdotal evidence suggest that the omicron variant causes milder symptoms that the first strains of the coronavirus, but the sheer number of people becoming ill is making employers and workers concerned about what is in store for them in the weeks and months ahead. Heath concerns are not the only challenges our workforce faces in 2022. It has been well-documented that the coronavirus pandemic has sped up changes in the way we work and has shone a very bright light on inequities in the way we train, educate, screen, hire, and retain talent. It also has prompted us to think about ways in which we can address these issues and put forth new solutions that will benefit both the employee and employer. Click here to read more.

From WorkRise: By many measures, the United States labor market is historically tight. Employment growth is humming, job openings are exploding, nominal wages are growing, and workers are increasingly leaving jobs in favor of new employment opportunities—all signs of a robust recovery from last year’s pandemic-induced recession. But a closer look reveals the rebound is not yet complete. Millions remain out of work in jobless spells lasting several months, a population that disproportionately includes older Americans and people of color. Click here to read more.

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