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Begin New Search Topic Labor Issues Author Amy Blair

1. Voices from the Field: Engaging Employers to Connect Young Adults to Good Fit Employment

Author:
Amy Blair
Publication Date:
10-2020
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
America’s youngest workers are facing the most dire employment prospects since the Great Depression. At the start of 2020, nearly five million young people ages 16-24 were neither enrolled in school nor working. Today, their unemployment crisis has been greatly exacerbated by the pandemic. This disconnection, both before and after the arrival of COVID-19, has had an outsized impact on young workers of color. Across the country, workforce development and education providers are scrambling to meet the needs of these young people. Now more than ever, they need accurate information on available employment, including wages, health insurance, paid leave, scheduling, and safety, among other things. This report compiles insights from workforce professionals about the types of questions they ask employers. 210 workforce professionals in Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia responded to a survey about the kinds of conversations they have with business representatives on topics related to workplace practices, environment, and equity and inclusion in the workplace. Although the survey that informed this publication was conducted before the pandemic, the questions are increasingly relevant and important today.
Topic:
Labor Issues, Unemployment, Job Creation, and Labor Market
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America

2. Harnessing Digital Technology for Frontline Worker Mobility: Eat’n Park’s Partnered Approach

Author:
Vivian Vazquez, Jenny Weissbourd, and Amy Blair
Publication Date:
08-2019
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Aspen Institute
Abstract:
Online upskilling programs have the potential to support continuous, lifelong learning that can help adults learn new skills and advance in a changing labor market. Yet the online learning landscape can be difficult to navigate. Many workers face challenges balancing digital courses with work and personal commitments, accessing and using technology, and determining which of the many available programs signal value to employers. Companies can play an important role in making online upskilling accessible and relevant to frontline workers. Our latest report documents one partnered approach to designing and piloting an online training program for incumbent workers, led by a food service company, a civic leadership organization, and a local university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It explores how Eat’n Park partnered with Robert Morris University and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development to design and deliver digital training to frontline Eat’n Park employees. Our profile shares findings from a pilot customer service training program, focusing on the experiences of workers who participated and their managers. It includes information on program content and design, and the business case for launching training. It also offers four key practices that workers noted were important to their motivation and ability to complete the program
Topic:
Science and Technology, Labor Issues, Retail, Digitalization, and Customer Service
Political Geography:
North America and United States of America