Making Better Work

This week host Kristin Wolff explores O4O—an exciting effort within the ecosystem of program stakeholders, data and performance experts, and civic tech champions trying gain more value from the vast amount of data the workforce system collects. This JFFLabs’ initiative focuses on creating value at the local level. It has engaged seven workforce boards in a cooperative effort to use their collective data more effectively and share insights more widely—through analytics on the one hand, and user-generates data stories on the other. It’s an exciting vision that complements and enriches the work of the broader workforce data community and one you’ll want to learn more about. Listen now! More on O4O, partners and team members, and current products. For more information: Sign up for the #MakingBetterWork Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/903537e424bb/mbwnews Community of Practice/WorkforceGPS: https://wdqi.youth.workforcegps.org/ Email Kristin: Kristin_Wolff@spra.com @kristinwolff Credits: The project was produced

It's Apprenticeship Week! #NAW2021 In honor of the occasion we're speaking with Vinz Koller about apprenticeship, data, equity and a vision for the future. Vinz leads the organization’s apprenticeship portfolio. Resources cited: Leveraging Workforce Data Systems to Improve Programs: The Case of Apprenticeship (A WDQI Resource Brief, 2021): https://wdqi.workforcegps.org/resources/2021/08/24/17/45/Leveraging-Workforce-Data-Systems-to-Improve-Programs-The-Case-of-Apprenticeship How Apprenticeships for Opportunity Youth Stay Resilient (SPR & JFF): https://www.jff.org/resources/how-apprenticeship-programs-opportunity-youth-stay-resilient-through-covid-19-recession/ gov JFF’s Center for Apprenticeship & Work-based Learning: https://www.jff.org/what-we-do/impact-stories/center-for-apprenticeship-and-work-based-learning/ New America’s Center on Education & Labor: https://www.newamerica.org/center-education-labor/ Vinz! https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinz-koller-b83a885/ For more information: Sign up fo

Michelle is Bitwise’s Chief Workforce Officer and served as Director and launch architect of the organization’s Onward platform, first developed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Michelle helps catch us up on Bitwise’s growth—especially in apprenticeship—and shares important lessons about data and how it can be quickly deployed to help workforce agencies design programs (ongoing!) that get workers back on their feet quickly and with confidence. We’re really excited about this one! Have a listen! Resources: Bitwise Industries: https://bitwiseindustries.com/ The Onward platform: https://onwardus.org/ Digital New Deal: https://bitwiseindustries.com/about/mission/digital-new-deal/ Bitwise in the midea: https://bitwiseindustries.com/about/media/ Michelle! https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleskoor/ For more information: Sign up for the #MakingBetterWork Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/903537e424bb/mbwnews Community of Practice/WorkforceGPS: https://wdqi.youth.workforcegps.org/ Email Kristin: K

In this episode, Dr. Annelies Goger, Rubenstein Fellow at Brookings, shares her insights about workforce policy and progams and identifies practical steps we can take to improve them through better data and modern data systems. Annelies offers a rare perspective on workforce data. As a researcher with SPR, she evaluated programs and made policy recommendations to improve economic opportunities for people and communities. Poor, outdated, or hard-to-access data was a problem she experienced first- hand. While at Brookings, she has engaged dozens of researchers and practitioners—as well as legislators, policy makers, and technologists from across sectors—to inform her growing portfolio of work in the workforce policy—with data at its heart. (Follow @annelies_goger.) What a treat to see next generation workforce policy come to life in her work! Be sure and check out the resources cited during our discussion including: Digital Transformation in Education and Workforce Systems (Essay): https://www.brookings.edu/

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sean Simone, Director of Research and Evaluation at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development (Rutgers University) in New Jersey. We cover traditional workforce data topics – like NJ’s evolving training provider data systems (ETPL) – and what it means to build for the future. Sean understands the power of data to inform good strategy and practice, improve NJ residents lives and livelihoods, and rectify past injustices—and he’s doing everything in his power to bring these elements to the design and implementation of data systems, strategies, research, and consumer-facing tools in NJ and across the emerging Eastern States Data Collaborative. What a treat to speak with him! And of course, he shared resources galore. NJ Resources: · NJ Education to Earnings Data Systems https://njed2earndata.org/ · NJ ETPL https://njtrainingsystems.dol.state.nj.us/ and https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/coei/etpl_procedures.html · Heldrich Center for Workforce Development https://www.heldrich.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Julia Lane, cofounder of the Coleridge Initiative—a program that aims to transform the way governments access and use data for social good. It’s a wide-ranging discussion covering major themes in Julia’s new book, Democratizing Our Data: A Manifesto, new public data demands sparked by the COVID crisis, as well as strategies for meeting urgent needs in the short term while building better systems infrastructure over time. Julie sees both critical urgency and limitless potential for using data more effectively to inform public policy, program designs, and the sequence and timing of interventions to produce better outcomes for people and communities. So many references! And we’ve got you covered: Democratizing Our Data: A Manifesto (2020) The Coleridge Initiative/Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF) Training ADRF Collaborators National Convening: Jobs Data for Evidence-Based Policy (Information & Registration) Origins of the Unemployment Rate: The Lasting Legacy

This episode is jaw-dropping. Spanning massive changes in data to the thriller-style story Rhode Island’s successful Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program launch in under 10 days, Dr. Justine shares a wealth of insights, lessons, and possibilities from her experience working with states to reimagine their data systems and applications. Justine* is the founding director at Research Improving People’s Lives or RIPL, a new kind of Data Science and Research Lab based in Rhode Island that works with public and social sector leaders from across the country to use data to improve policy and make people’s lives better.  She’s one of a whole new class of data scientists that link academic, tech, data, and public policy. Longitudinal data systems (like the Workforce Data Quality Initiative) are at the center of these efforts. *Justine is a also polymath. She served on the Academic Research Council for the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and on the Council of Economic Advisors to the Governor of

In this episode, we turn the tables. Producer Doug Foresta interviews Kristin Wolff about the impact of COVID-19 on WDQI and partner data projects. The two barely take a breath in this impromptu chat about the crises and opportunities the pandemic has made evident, and the vastly expanded stakeholder networks and partner ecosystems engaged in solutions work. So many references! Here are a few: BrightHive, SPR’s trusted partner in the WDQI effort Research Improving People’s Lives (RIPL) The Coleridge Initiative/Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF) GovLab DataKind Jobs for the Future (JFF) Civic Software Foundation WDQI Round VI Highlights (Summer 2020): https://wdqi.workforcegps.org/resources/2020/08/24/23/53/WDQI-Webinar-Round-VI-Accomplishments For more information: Sign up for the #MakingBetterWork Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/903537e424bb/mbwnews US Department of Labor’s WDQI Effort: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20190722 Community of Practice/WorkforceGPS: https://wdqi.youth.w

In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Mark Duey and Kevan Fish, project leads for Colorado’s Workforce Data Quality Initiative with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. Mark and Kevan share Colorado’s effort to build data-rich, human-centered systems that respond to the current crisis and provide value “way out into the future.” Focused on creating sophisticated tools for matching people with first jobs, next jobs, and training that makes the best use of their talents and skills, they envision a future that provides more pathways to better work (we love this!) and builds in the flexibility to respond to shocks – like COVID-19. For more information: Sign up for the #MakingBetterWork Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/903537e424bb/mbwnews US Department of Labor’s WDQI Effort: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20190722 Connecting Colorado: https://www.connectingcolorado.com/ My Colorado Journey: https://www.mycoloradojourney.com/ Onward Colorado: https://onwardco.org/ Social: @O

In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Patrick Getz, project lead for California’s Workforce Data Quality Initiative, with the California Workforce Development Board.   We learn about the state’s efforts to standardize, improve, and connect data from across programs into a system that provides more value for everyone – policy makers, agency staff, nonprofit partners, businesses, and Californians up and down the state. Because of California’s vast size and scale, there is much to be learned about what works to help all people advance, firms grow, and communities build a stronger middle class. In the wake of COVID-19, the ensuing recession, and the largest social movement in our nation’s history (#BlackLivesMatter), this work takes on new urgency and importance.    For more information: Sign up for the #MakingBetterWork Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/903537e424bb/mbwnews US Department of Labor’s WDQI Effort: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20190722 California Workforce Development Boar

Kristin Wolff talks with Natalie Evans Harris, BrightHive Co-Founder, Beeck Center (Georgetown) Fellow, and White House and National Security Administration Alumna. Natalie is one of the foremost experts in the country on data governance. She’s worked at the highest levels of the federal government and also with state and local community-based organizations; with the public and private sectors separately and in collaboration. We could have talked to her about her vast experiences and inspired hopes for the future for days. Instead we packed a lot in 30 minutes. Have a listen! More about Natalie Natalie’s website: harrisdata.co Natalie & BrightHive: brighthive.io/brighthive-team Natalie’s Sharing Data for Social Impact Guidebook: beeckcenter.georgetown.edu/report/sharing-data-for-social-impact-guidebook-to-establishing-responsible-governance-practices/ Twitter: @QuietStormNat Resources Cited: Beeck Center: beeckcenter.georgetown.edu Sharing Data for Social Impact Guidebook: beeckcenter.georgetown.edu/re

In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Hunter Morancy, Senior Economic Research Analyst at the Center for Workforce Research and Information in Maine. Hunter is the point person for Maine’s Workforce Data Quality Initiative or WDQI, part of the national effort to build longitudinal workforce data systems supported by the US Department of Labor. Hunter talks us through the key steps that helped he and his colleagues build a secure warehouse (spoiler alert: it’s not really about the warehouse!). We’re thrilled to hear about what Maine learned through the process and where it’s headed next. No doubt you will be too – Hunter’s energy is plain contagious. Enjoy! For more information: Center for Workforce Research and Information (CWRI): https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/ Maine EARNS: https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/maineearns/ Maine Job Link: https://joblink.maine.gov/ada/r/training Governance Handbook: https://www.maine.gov/labor/cwri/maineearns/pdf/GovernanceHandbook.pdf Find Hunter on LinkedIn: ht

“The changes are staggering!” In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Dr. Marian Negoita, Senior Associate at Social Policy Research (what a treat to interview a colleague!). Marian is an expert in federal program evaluation. He’s evaluated dozens of workforce, education, and human services programs all over the country and in his home state of California. For those new to the evaluation business, this podcast is a master class. For those who get excited about using data to make a difference in peoples’ lives, Marian is your kind of researcher. For more information: Examples of Dr. Negoita’s work: Evaluation Collaborative/OCCRL Belleview College TAACCCT Evaluation Brief: Intrusive Advising Google Scholar (because Dr. Negoita does a lot of different kinds of research) Social Policy Research Associates https://www.spra.com/ Social: Twitter: @Social_Policy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-negoita-3a597a8/ Disclaimer: This podcast was produced by Social Policy Research and Workforc

Dr. Josh Hawley is a workforce data guru. An Associate Professor in the Glenn College and an Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, Dr. Hawley also leads the Ohio Education Research Center, a collaboration of six Ohio universities and four research organizations aimed at bridging research, policy and practice around education in the State of Ohio, pre-school through workforce. He also serves as faculty for Coleridge Initiative (New York University) administrative data training programs and as a formal subject matter expert for the Workforce Data Quality Initiative and informal advisor to states all over the country seeking to improve the way they manage and use education and workforce data. In this podcast, Kristin Wolff (our host) talks with Dr. Hawley about what he’s learned in over a decade of work in this area, what opportunities he sees, and how he’s put the data he works with to use in his own research on education and workforce policy and progr

In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Joshua Mallett, Senior Associate at Social Policy Research (what a treat to interview a colleague!) Josh is fairly new to SPR, so it was a special treat for Kristin to engage him in the wide-ranging discussion of how he built a career in public policy through data, stats, and coding just as new collaborative tools and ways of working with data were emerging, and what opportunities he sees for policy and data professionals working on critical social challenges today. Joshua so clearly communicates his intense curiosity and respect for new ways of generating insight – it’s inspiring. He’s experimented with so many tools and platforms it was impossible for us to capture all of them in the shownotes – so we’re providing the ability to connect with him directly instead. Enjoy! (And, by all means, share and comment! For more information: · GitHub (Josh loves distributed version control!) · Rand Studies: https://www.rand.org/pubs/authors/m/mallett_joshua.html ·

In episode, we turn the tables and interview Kristin Wolff, the host of #MakingBetterWork about what’s going on in the world of workforce data and what we can look forward to next year – and it’s a lot. Turns out the data can be useful in helping us navigate the #FutureofWork. Here’s the last #MakingBetterWork newsletter: https://publicate.it/p/E3x_xT119303 And here’s how you can sign up for the next one: https://mailchi.mp/903537e424bb/mbwnews

In this episode, our host, Kristin Wolff, talks with Laura Ring and Dr. Jonathan Barlow. Laura is the Director of the Office of Grant Management at the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, and Jonathan is the Associate Director of Software Architecture and Development at NSPARC – National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center – located on the Mississippi State University Campus in Starkville. Grab your trainers and chart your course – this episode is longer than most and you’ll want to hear every word. We discuss how to build sustainable partnerships, the key turning points in the evolution of Mississippi’s longitudinal data system, and a raft of new products and tools under development now. Jonathan and Laura’s rich explanations and stories paint a picture of how policy and program work changes when data is connected, supported by high-quality governance structures, and used collectively, and why that’s so important for Mississippi students, workers, and businesses. It’s a remarkable s

Tonya Lee, Assistant Labor Market Information Director at the Alabama Department of Labor, is our guest this week on Making Better Work. Alabama joined the workforce longitudinal data community in 2018, after securing its first ever federal WDQI grant. The state has a bold vision for working with data partners to connect data from across education and workforce agencies, and working with employers to better understand the state’s talent pipeline. Tonya shares these aspirations and discusses the steps the state is taking today. She also reveals the most important lessons she learned from other states in the workforce data community that have been at it much longer. Have a listen! For more information: · WDQI Press Release on AL.com: https://www.al.com/business/2017/06/alabama_department_of_labor_wi.html · Governor’s priority: Data-informed Workforce Policy: https://www.alreporter.com/2018/12/10/moore-working-to-implement-governors-strategic-education-to-workforce-plan/ · Alabama’s Strong Start, Strong Finish I

Clinton Flowers is the guest in this episode of Making Better Work. He leads the Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) effort in Missouri. A strategist by nature and a planner in practice, Clinton believes that curating and contextualizing data is as important as providing it – which is why partnerships are so important in the building of shared data systems. He shares his insights about enduring partnerships, shared intelligence, and new opportunities for Missourans learn, work, and advance. He also points us to some of the state’s new data tools, and previews some key agency-level changes afoot. Have a listen! For more information: · MoSCORES (Missouri School Credentials for Occupations Resulting in Employment Success), Customer-facing tool containing information about student participants – in Missouri’s credit and non-credit education and training programs – and their outcomes. https://jobs.mo.gov/jobseeker/training-and-education (There’s even a snazzy explainer video!) · Missouri’s agency restructurin