As you may have read previously, Deaconess provided funding late last year to help community organizations – Community Development Corporations (CDCs), human service providers, adult education nonprofits – reach out to their constituents and help them navigate the workforce development ecosystem. These “Connections” grants were designed with the sole purpose of enrolling people in workforce services that they may not find otherwise.
Now these projects have been operational for a couple of months, and early findings are important for those of us who work in this field to consider. I am writing a white paper on our initial learnings. In the meantime, here’s a quick preview of the emerging themes, specific to this particular moment in our economy, in our culture, and in our neighborhoods:
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- Quick wins are possible – Some people ready and available for work were derailed in their plans by the pandemic and associated disruptions. Because the workforce system can be tough to navigate, community organizations are already playing important roles in getting those who were diverted back into the services they need to prepare for in-demand career paths.
- Trust matters. For some potential workers, signing up for services requires more trust than people living in our neighborhoods might have in systems or institutions. When mistrust meets registration or eligibility requirements that can feel very personal, we lose people who might thrive with the right support and training. The good news, it seems, is that personal contacts, taking place on comfortable territory close to home, have been very powerful in getting people into the services – and then the jobs- they need.
- Employers may need to make meaningful changes to attract people to jobs. Some clients and residents, frustrated by low wages and poor experiences in entry level roles, have a pervasive cynicism about returning to the job market. Gig or informal work, or entrepreneurship, are sometimes seen as more attractive options. Both wage increases and other changes (in the design, culture, advancement opportunities or environment of entry level jobs) may be needed to change the current attitudes and interest of individuals in pursuing a career path at a workplace.
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The work will evolve, and we’ll keep this audience informed as it influences Deaconess Foundation’s work.