A Review of Workforce Area Websites in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

Researchers recognized the magnitude of the challenges the public workforce system and One-Stop Career Center staff have had to face and overcome and based on this survey and conversations with local workforce areas, virtual services are here to stay. This review highlights examples of good practices for website content and resources that could be implemented by local area One-Stop Career Center professionals.

The analysis of workforce area websites in four states was conducted to determine the type of information and services available online to customers of the local One-Stop Career Center System and job seekers, more generally. Moreover, the researchers also wanted to understand how local workforce areas engaged with job seekers online and how information and services were communicated to the public.

It was vital that virtual services and workforce-related information—offered on local workforce program websites and online platforms—provided clear and specific guidance to assist those new to unemployment and the public workforce system, and those in need of assistance. Overall, researchers documented that the public workforce system has clearly shown its ability to react, adapt, and pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic thus far. The pandemic forced many changes in the public workforce system, such as the sudden need to adopt virtual services and create online content and resources.

In conclusion:

• The need for virtual services will likely continue for the foreseeable future, regardless of whether workforce staff return to their physical offices or continue remote work (or a combination of both).
• Many local One-Stop operators that participated in conversations with the Heldrich Center agreed that both staff and customer concern for safety will
  necessitate some form of virtual service delivery as the new standard.
• Offering clear and specific online guidance can help to reduce the amount of telephone calls and emails staff have to field, thereby freeing up their time to better invest in staff-intensive services.
• Providing public-facing virtual offerings can benefit job seekers not currently attached to the public workforce system, as well as established customers of the One-Stop system.
• COVID-19 transformed service delivery and local staff have risen to every challenge and shown the agility and resilience of their respective organizations.

Sample Findings:

• It is recommended that other workforce areas learn from this review and create an online presence to assist individuals in the local area.

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2020
• Author(s): A. Bombino, L. Volpe
• Funding Source: John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies