Browsing by Subject "Workforce Development"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Navigating the Benefits Bridge: Resources for Employment Service Providers and Clients in Minnesota
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2023) Haynes, Monica; Chiodi Grensing, Gina; Bakken, Mitchell; Hopkins, Erin; Nadeau, Kenny; Perry, D'Lanie; Wendinger, Avery
    Public assistance programs are designed to be a bridge to economic stability; as individuals take home more earnings and become more financially stable, their benefits will decrease. Yet in some cases, by accepting a raise or increasing the number of working hours and, thus, wages, an individual may unintentionally reduce their net income (i.e., their combined wage plus benefits). This occurrence is sometimes referred to as a “benefits cliff” and can act as a barrier to career advancement for low-income individuals. Also, given the number of programs that exist and their often-complex eligibility rules, it can be very difficult for benefits recipients to understand how changes in their income might affect their eligibility for various programs. Recently, the Economic Services and Supports Division of St. Louis County, Minnesota—the local agency that administers many of the state and federal public assistance programs—asked the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Labovitz School of Business and Economics to provide a dynamic tool that could be used by career counselors when advising their clients about the potential financial impacts of a career change, using clients’ personalized information. To accomplish this, the BBER collected feedback from counselors, conducted a literature review and online search to identify existing tools, and analyzed data from various sources to determine the accuracy and usefulness of potential tools. The project will also include training by the BBER on how to use the tool. The BBER spoke to counselors in focus groups. The counselors noted that “higher minimum wages make it easier for people to surpass income thresholds—especially with small families,” thereby making those individuals more likely to lose public assistance benefits. Counselors also noted that each program has its own requirements and paperwork and that the program requirements are difficult to understand, even for them, which made it difficult to advise clients on how to make educated career choices. When asked what type of information, tools, or resources would be helpful in advising clients about public assistance programs and career advancement, many counselors said they most wanted to have a “simple calculator to calculate benefits for different variable inputs.” Examples of features they would like included the ability to calculate benefits for a given wage or a simple cost of living calculator to assist clients with budgeting. Several counselors mentioned that a handout or infographic depicting the process of moving from public assistance to a career could make conversations easier. The research team evaluated eight potential tools based on geographic availability, accuracy of data, and usability/design. Of the tools evaluated, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s (hereafter referred to as the Atlanta Fed) CLIFF portal— developed using data from its Policy Rules Database (PRD)—was the most accurate for the largest number of St. Louis County assistance programs. Of the tools shown to the members of our working group—comprised of representatives from the county’s employment service providers— the CLIFF portal was also the most visually appealing and easiest to use. However, when comparing the data provided by the CLIFF portal with state and local policies, the working group identified inconsistencies with the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)—the state’s welfare program for low-income families with children—and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Therefore, the BBER contacted the Atlanta Fed to inquire about the possibility of incorporating Minnesota’s rather unique MFIP program. Since first connecting in January 2023, our collaboration with the Atlanta Fed has resulted in refinements to the user interface and the inclusion of policy rules for the MFIP program.
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    The relationships among organizational service orientation, customer service training, and employee engagement.
    (2011-12) Johnson, Karen Roberto
    In service-related jobs, employee attitudes play a critical role in influencing customers' perceptions of service quality. This study investigated HRD-related organizational strategic practices that could potentially be linked to employee engagement as a means to improve customer satisfaction, service quality, and organizational effectiveness. The organizational strategic practices examined were organizational service orientation and customer service related training (personal motivation for training, benefits of training, and colleague support for training). Within the vast service sector, the tourism and hospitality industry, specifically the hotel sector, provided a unique context for examining the relationships among organizational service orientation, customer service training, and employee engagement. A survey research design was utilized to investigate the relationships. The study relied on previously developed scales related to the variables of interest. Data were collected from 320 frontline employees in 13 large all-inclusive hotels through the use of a self-report paper-based questionnaire. The overall response rate was 67%. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses was conducted as the primary method of data analysis to determine the unique contribution of each variable in predicting employee engagement. Overall, the results of the study indicated statistically significant relationships among organizational service orientation, customer service training, and employee engagement. Combined, all variables accounted for 38% of the variance in employee engagement. Service leadership, a subscale of organizational service orientation, was the highest predictor (23%) of employee engagement. Together, the customer service training variables explained 9% of the variation in employee engagement. Human resource management practices and service encounter practices each accounted for 3% of the variance in employee engagement. Service systems practices were found to be non-significantly related to employee engagement. The output generated from the hierarchical multiple regression analysis also revealed that service encounter practices mediate the relationship between human resource management practices and employee engagement. Based on the findings, implications for both research and practice are discussed and recommendations for future research are also detailed.
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    Workforce Development Strategies for the City of Brooklyn Park
    (Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2017) Ho, Yedam; Anderson, Raquel
    This project was completed as part of 2016-2017 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of Brooklyn Park. Pockets of Brooklyn Park experience disproportionately high rates of unemployment compared to the rest of the city, with some tracts having unemployment rates as high as 19%. Despite the high number of individuals seeking employment, businesses in these areas struggle to fill open positions. Brooklyn Park staff worked with students in OLPD 5696: Internship in Human Resource Development, supervised by Rosemarie Park, to examine this phenomenon. The students concluded that job-seekers are either having difficulties finding these job openings, or do not qualify for the jobs that are available. The students gave recommendations for how businesses can better attract, train, and retain potential employees. The students’ final report is available.