About the Report

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In an effort to evaluate the Workforce Online Learning Information Portal (WOLIP) project in four states and to learn more about how best to implement online learning in state-driven workforce investment systems, Employment and Training Administration (ETA) funded the Rutgers University Center for Women and Work to conduct a formative evaluation of the WOLIP demonstration project and to provide technical assistance. The report summarizes the findings and observations from the evaluation research, which concluded September 2011.

Key Takeaways

• Strong state leadership and ownership of the project from the outset makes for a stronger program.
• State cultures and structures drove the implementation process in vastly different ways.
• Implementation of a concept as novel as an online portal demands strong partnerships and collaboration to be successful.
• A primary point person at the state level was essential to this project’s success.
• Buy-in for the WOLIP project by local workforce investment boards and workforce staff varied across and within states.
• A single vision of the portal was relayed to the states by the Department, but state understandings of how to use and implement the portal varied greatly.
• States had different levels of familiarity with online learning as a training tool prior to this demonstration.
• State partners struggled to identify and evaluate quality online training; no satisfactory mechanism for doing so evolved in any state.
• State partners used an assortment of methods to assess potential participants’ capacity for online learning; some assessment tools were better than others.
• Online learning in certain rural areas offered training courses that were previously unavailable but were in demand locally.
• Strong case management that includes personal contact is important to successful retention in and completion of online learning programs.
• Vendors and training providers varied in their ability to provide timely and quality feedback to students.
• Vendors and training providers varied in the quality of their coursework design and in keeping their curricula up-to-date.
• Participants critiqued online learning for its lack of networking opportunities with other students as well as with industry contacts and employers.
• Participants in certain fields of study critiqued online learning for its lack of opportunities for hands-on experience, recommending a blended approach.
• Local training providers were preferred by some workforce investment staff, clients, and employers.
• Participants throughout the four states generally responded positively to online learning as a training tool.
• Participants liked that online coursework gave them the flexibility to learn while working, taking care of their families, or searching for a job.
• Online learning is not a good fit for everyone; some participants found it isolating and were challenged by the need for discipline and self-guided study.
• During periods of protracted unemployment, education and training, whether taken online or in a classroom setting, may play an important role in maintaining self-esteem and staving off boredom and depression.

Citation

McKay, H. A., Murphree, M. C. (2020). Rutgers. Shaping a Portal Website: A Study of the Collaborative Online Workforce Education and Training Portal Demonstration Project. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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This study was sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, Division of Research and Evaluation, and was produced outside of CEO’s standard research development process.