Colorado Workforce Development Council and Working Metrics Partner to Expand Use of Data to Drive Equity and Job Quality
New State Partnership Focuses on Improving Job Quality to Advance Economic Recovery
August 16, 2022, Washington, D.C. – The Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and Working Metrics, a workforce analytics company, announced today that they are partnering on a statewide effort to define, measure, and improve job quality to help employers better attract and retain workers to help advance the state’s post-COVID economic recovery plan.
Working alongside partner Results for America, a leading public policy advisory group, this new project will give companies and workforce agencies the tools they need to improve job quality and equity in their employment practices, as well as their procurements, grant, and loan processes. The initiative includes employers, state and regional agencies, industry associations, and national organizations committed to growing Colorado’s competitive labor force.
The announcement comes as labor gaps remain persistent across the country, despite post-pandemic recovery efforts; Colorado is no exception. The “Great Resignation” has highlighted the need for employers in all sectors to understand the important role job quality plays in improving business operations. Data shows that employers who focus on improving job quality with robust measurement and evidence-based practices enjoy the competitive advantage of attracting and retaining the very best talent.
In Colorado, we recognize that equipping workers with skills is inadequate if the jobs available to those workers do not provide for life’s basic necessities,” said Renise Walker, Assistant Director of the Colorado Workforce Development Council. “Our partnership with Working Metrics will help employers, chambers of commerce, industry associations, and others evaluate the current quality of their jobs, compare them to others in their sector, and make data-informed decisions on how to improve, thereby strengthening their talent pipelines, supporting economic growth, and providing employment opportunities to more workers.”
To improve job quality, organizations need to understand what constitutes a quality job, how it can be assessed within the private and public sectors, and how these assessments can drive positive change for employees, employers, and communities. Developed in collaboration with the Aspen Institute, a leading policy organization on workforce and other critical issues, Working Metrics’ innovative platform helps organizations in measuring, scoring, and benchmarking their performance in key areas that impact job quality, including wages, advancement opportunities, and working conditions that promote wellness and a sense of purpose.
Job quality has been an important interest to us for many years, and with the current labor market it’s become an imperative for our business, said Joel Jonker, owner of Down to Earth Compliance, a Colorado engineering firm providing erosion and water management control services to the construction industry. We’re happy to be working with Working Metrics to gain an objective understanding of where we stand and what’s truly important to our workforce.”
Colorado is a leader in recognizing that promoting job quality and equity is the path to helping build more resilient, and better performing companies and economies,” said Larry Schlang, Founder & CEO of Working Metrics. “At the heart of our partnership is a shared understanding that agencies and companies can’t improve what they don’t measure; Working Metrics provides easy access to the data and insights that make it easy to do just that.”
For more information about Working Metrics and its partnership with the Colorado Workforce Development Council, contact Renise Walker, Assistant Director of Systems Innovation at the Colorado Workforce Development Council or Larry Schlang, CEO Working Metrics.
About Working Metrics
Working Metrics a workforce analytics company, developing tools for companies to measure, benchmark, analyze and score their job quality performance in comparison to their industry and regional peers. Using Working Metrics’ tools, public and private procurement organizations, investors and lenders can assess the job quality of prospective and current business partners to predict vendor reliability, investment growth and credit worthiness. Working Metrics partners with leading businesses, government agencies and nonprofits including The Aspen Institute, Results for America, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and others. Working Metrics continues to cement its role as a thought leader in the increasingly vital and relevant discussion of job quality measures across all sectors of the US workforce.
To learn more, visit www.workingmetrics.com or follow us on Twitter @WorkingMetrics.
About the Colorado Workforce Development Council
The Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is a Governor-appointed, public-private partnership with the purpose to advise, oversee, and integrate the work of the Colorado talent development network. Its vision is that every Colorado employer has access to a skilled workforce and every Coloradan has the opportunity for meaningful employment, resulting in individual and statewide economic prosperity.
To learn more, visit cwdc.colorado.gov or follow on Twitter @the_cwdc.
About the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program
The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP) advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy. We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity.
To learn more, visit aspeninstitute.org/eop or follow on Twitter @AspenJobQuality.