Engaging Employers, Incumbent Workers and Jobseekers Final Report for the SWMERN E Project

The Southwest Michigan Employer Resource Network (SWMERN-E) project was already established in two counties and the goal with the WIF grant was to expand into two additional counties, and from 10 to 25 employer members. Using grant funds, SWMERN-E also provided various services for incumbent workers, including success coaching and leadership, supervisory and occupational skills, and recruiting and training jobseekers to fill available job career pathways for retention and succession planning. Building collaborative relationships with the public workforce system was another goal of the project, along with engaging with member organizations to build career pathways for employees. SWMERN-E made services such as onsite success coaches, career coaching and support for career advancement through short-term occupational skills training available to member organizations. The project expanded the network to include 29 new members, beyond the original goal of 25. 141 jobseekers received training through the WIF grant, 201 incumbent workers received short term classroom training and 170 received on-the-job (OJT) training. The evaluation included implementation, outcomes, and cost studies.

(The report is 184 pages long including attachments.)

One goal of the evaluation was to assess the effectiveness of the model in reducing absenteeism and employee turnover at member organizations. However, assessing change in member companies’ absenteeism and retention rates over time was challenged by low response rates, difficulties administering the employer survey, and unavailability of employee data from firms. Through employer and participant surveys, the evaluation concluded that the expanded model provided necessary resources that employers could use to aid their workforce. The services and training provided soft skills and occupational skills training and OJT to assist new employees to be successful in their new positions. Participants were satisfied or very satisfied with the training and resources. Employers also reported value in networking with one another and working collectively across firms to identify retention challenges in the local community.

The evaluator noted several conclusions about the project and further research. These included:

1. The findings contribute to the knowledge base on interventions for low-skilled, entry-level workers which may be valuable in understanding how best to support those placed in employment but still needing support;
2. The model may provide useful information for those designing workforce interventions for adults, dislocated workers, and youth to help inform how to connect employers and their employees to needed resources.

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2019
• Author(s): Khemani, D.; Mack, M.; Hebbar, L.; Negoita, M.; Ortiz, E.
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies