Publications
Description and Challenges of the Frontline Workforce
A Report from The Southeastern Pennsylvania Behavioral Health Industry Partnership (2007)
This report, commissioned by The Partnership, was designed to provide its members with a current update on the status of the direct support professional workforce in the mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse (MH/DD/SA) service deliver systems.
Workers Who Care: A Graphical Profile of the Frontline Health and Health Care Workforce (2006)
This chartbook provides comprehensive employment data on frontline health and health care workforce occupations. The data offer a profile of the frontline workforce at the national level, as well as a more nuanced description of the ways in which the frontline occupational outlook varies across states and regions. This chartbook was produced by Health Workforce Solutions, LLC, and published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Community Health Worker Advancement: A Research Summary, by Geri Scott and Randall Wilson (2006)
Community health workers are essential to the U.S. public health system. They work in diverse settings and under myriad titles to improve access to health care for underserved populations using culturally appropriate methods. Despite their importance, community health workers are often not well rewarded, and their job tenure is unstable. Well-defined career paths are lacking, as are systematic skill sets and credentials recognized across work settings and usable for higher education. With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, SkillWorks: Partners for a Productive Workforce asked JFF to recommend adaptations of the SkillWorks Workforce Partnership model in order to apply that approach to career advancement for community health workers. As the basis for these recommendations, JFF conducted research on the challenges to and national best practices for the advancement of community health workers.
Invisible No Longer: Advancing the Entry-level Workforce in Health Care, by Randall Wilson (2006)
To deliver adequate care, hospitals, nursing homes, primary care centers, and home care providers need a well-trained workforce and a reliable “pipeline” of workers to fill vacancies and address shortages in critical areas. Invisible No Longer explores a wide variety of workforce development practices that respond to this challenge, with a focus on entry-level health care workers and their quest for jobs leading to rewarding careers. It reports on where there is progress, where further investments would pay dividends, and what lessons are emerging.
Defining the Frontline Workforce (2005)
This research report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on enhancing the understanding of the frontline healthcare and human services workforce, as well as the challenges that may obstruct their ability to work effectively.
Supporting Frontline Workers
Creating Careers, Improving Care, by Heath Prince (2006)
This report, commissioned by the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation, presents the findings from JFF’s research into strategies for recruiting, retaining, and advancing CNAs.
Turnover Turnaround, by Carol R. Hegeman (2005)
This article describes how a carefully designed CNA mentoring program can improve staff retention in Long-term Care Centers.
Work-Based Learning
Work Based Learning: Overview, by Victor Capoccia (2005)
This presentation by Victor Capoccia from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation summarizes the components of a work-based learning model.
Learning on the Job: Accredited Work-based Learning, by Veronica Swallow (2000)
This article in Emergency Nurse describes an educational scheme that underpins the simultaneous development of education and practice.
Work-based Learning: The New Frontier of Management Development, by Joseph A. Raelin (2000) Prentice Hall. (Book)
For additional resources on Work-Based Learning click here.
Creating Career Ladders
Career Pathways Toolkit, by Community College Bridges to Opportunity funded by the Ford Foundation (2007)
A new resource for state and local leaders working to expand education, training and learning opportunities for America’s current and emerging workforce.
Advancing in Health and Health Care Careers - Rung by Rung: Applying a Work-based Learning Model to Develop Missing Rungs on a Nursing Career Ladder, by Rebecca Klein-Collins and Rebecca Starr (2007)
Workforce shortages in health and health care are reaching crisis levels, prompting many employers to adopt creative approaches for recruiting and retaining workers. Employers are turning to “grow your own” strategies that help lower-skilled, frontline workers advance to higher-skilled, higher-paying jobs. One overarching strategy that integrates these various approaches uses the framework of career ladders, a strategy that has the potential to benefit employers and workers alike, both now and in the future.overarching strategy that integrates these various approaches uses the framework of career ladders, a strategy that has the potential to benefit employers and workers alike, both now and in the future.
This issue brief, drawing on the experience of the Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare, illustrates how one such career ladder system could work, as well as some important considerations when designing and implementing such a system. The alliance is a grantee of Jobs to Careers: Promoting Work-Based Learning for Quality Care, a national initiative focused on establishing systems that train, develop, reward, and advance current frontline health and health care workers in order to improve the quality of care and services provided to patients and communities.
Developing Career Ladders: Key Elements (2006)
Moving Up in the New Economy: Career Ladders for U.S. Workers, by Joan Fitzgerald (2006) ILR Press. (Book)
Characteristics of Effective Career Ladders Projects (2006)
Career Ladders: A Guidebook for Workforce Intermediaries, by Heath Prince and Jack Mills (2003)
Career Ladders, part of the WINs series on engaging employers in workforce development, provides information on planning, developing, operating, and expanding the role of intermediaries in advancement. The guide draws upon lessons learned from innovative work across the country.
Effective Educational Partners - Community Colleges
Community College Survey of Student Engagement (2007 Findings)
This report highlights the results of the (CCSE's) annual survey of community college students. In honor of it's fifth anniversary, CCSSE this year presents these results in terms of lessons learned and strategies that work.
