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The evaluation of America’s Promise Job Driven Training (America’s Promise) provided a unique opportunity to hear directly from employers on their collaboration with the workforce development system. The brief draws on 31 interviews with employer representatives to describe why they chose to participate in regional workforce partnerships, how they helped shape partnership activities, what they perceived as successes and areas for improvement, whether they planned to sustain involvement, and what findings might provide insights for employer engagement more broadly. The insights in this brief are drawn from the perspectives of the 31 interviewed employers. Although the interviewed employers are not representative of all employer partners, they provided a range of perspectives across target industries and business sizes and types.

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Key Takeaways

• Employers’ most reported reason for participating in America’s Promise partnerships was to have a voice in shaping workforce system strategies. Employers also stated that they were motivated to participate in America’s Promise partnerships to strengthen talent pipelines, fund training development and work-based learning, show commitment to their communities, and diversify their workforces.
• Employers contributed to partnership activities by shaping partnerships activities, supporting work-based learning, and providing job placement. Although employer partners played multiple roles, they most often served on advisory boards, supported work-based learning opportunities through apprenticeships and on-the job-training, and employed individuals who completed training.
• Employers identified areas of value and for improvement. Employers perceived regional partnerships as successful in supporting high quality training, improving employee retention, increasing industry growth and collaboration, and strengthening and diversifying the pipeline of skilled workers. Some employers also identified a need for more training funds, increased tailoring of programs, and improvement of childcare and transportation support for participants.
• Most employers plan to continue playing a role in workforce development in their regions. The need to collaborate to advance workforce development was stressed by 30 of the 31 respondents. Four employers planned to continue training activities established under the America’s Promise grant; 26 others will seek additional funds to sustain training activities.

Citation

English, B., Zelenack, S., Bellotti, J. (2022). Mathematica. Employer Perspectives on Regional Workforce Partnerships: Lessons from America’s Promise. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.