The future of work has received an avalanche of attention over the past several years from the media, academics, and policymakers. However, most discussion has been theoretical and speculative. And the challenges facing opportunity youth have largely been left out of this conversation. Given this context, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, with support from the Citi Foundation, developed a practical approach and toolkit that community leaders can use to begin to learn how the future of work is playing out right now in their local economies. The toolkit includes a framework and questions to guide conversations with employers and young adults to learn from them about the nature and structure of work in specific occupations and what’s changing now; a guide to resources for conducting background labor market research to inform conversations; and sights from three organizations that pilot-tested the approach and toolkit in their communities

Good Jobs, Good Business is a comprehensive toolkit for small business owners seeking to improve job quality. The toolkit includes sections on Employee Compensation, Scheduling and Paid Leave, Hiring and Professional Development, Employee Engagement, Health Benefits, Retirement and Wealth Building, Racial Equity, and Covid-19. Each section helps users develop a business case and provides guidance on implementing new policies. This resource is designed for small business owners but can also be used by partners (including lenders and workforce development organizations) to coach businesses on job quality improvements with potential business benefits.

This step-by-step guide for employers and the practitioners who work with them provides information about how to foster inclusion for refugees in the workplace to harness diverse perspectives and drive positive business outcomes. It makes the business case for hiring refugee employees and suggests six inclusion initiatives to support refugee retention.

This “train-the-trainer” curriculum is designed for workforce development staff to educate clients about their rights as workers and strategies for protecting those rights. Units include wage and hour regulations, hiring and termination, leaves of absence, discrimination on the job, worker health and safety, and worker organizing. Although the curriculum highlights regulations that are specific to Chicago, the curriculum can serve as a model for others across the country. In addition to workforce development practitioners, worker advocacy professionals may also find this curriculum useful.

This report details the findings from a randomized 2019 Gallup survey of over six thousand American workers to understand their perspectives on job quality. The study offers a definition of job quality based on ten dimensions workers care about and provides useful findings and implications about who has a quality job and how job quality impacts quality of life.

This article discusses issues with popular mentorship programs.The authors argue organizations should consider investing in “mentors of the moment”, who promote a culture where all members of the organization seek opportunities every day to develop or grow junior colleagues. The authors then provide advice for improving the mentoring culture in an organization. This article can be helpful for HR professionals, managers, organization leaders, and employees looking to create more effective mentorship programs in their organization.

While the low quality of many “essential” jobs became more apparent during the pandemic, the issue of low-quality jobs is longstanding. This publication is based on a survey of organizations about their efforts to advance job quality. Survey responses were gathered before the effects of the pandemic took hold, and understanding perspectives on job quality then can give us important insights as we tackle the urgent challenge of improving job quality now. Many organizations are working to improve job quality both within their own organizations and externally, but they face a variety of challenges. They are eager for more tools and resources to support their efforts.

In Boston’s increasingly competitive hotel industry, what does it take to stay on top? The Omni Parker House, America’s longest continuously operating hotel – and proud originator of the Boston cream pie – earns its four-star Trip Advisor rating by investing in its most important asset: its people. The first step is meeting basic employee needs through generous wages and full benefits. But the key to the Omni’s exceptional customer service lies in recruitment, training, and performance management systems that empower frontline staff to make decisions, solve problems, and advance to management roles. The Aspen Institute recently spoke with Alex Pratt, Area Director of Human Resources at Omni Hotels & Resorts, a chain of 53 hotels that includes Boston’s Omni Parker House. Alex brings more than 25 years of experience in hospitality, and has achieved industry-leading retention and high employee satisfaction at the Parker House.

Hospitality ranks among America’s fastest-growing sectors, but millions of hotel workers are not reaping the rewards. Boston Education, Skills & Training (BEST) Corp. is solving this problem by providing best-in-class training that prepares workers to excel and engages hotels in discussions about the value of training. BEST was founded in 2004 as a nonprofit workforce development program focused on helping individuals develop skills and find good jobs in Boston’s hospitality industry. BEST serves nearly 500 job seekers and hotel workers each year, with training in English, computer skills, culinary skills, and industry-specific certifications like food safety. Through career coaching, BEST helps participants secure quality jobs and provides hotels with the skilled talent to thrive in an increasingly competitive industry. As the third prong of a productive labor-management partnership, BEST works closely with Local 26, the hospitality worker’s union, and its high road hotel employers. These 35 hotels pay a starting hourly wage as high as $21.43 to BEST graduates, and provide a generous benefits package, which includes career advancement training through BEST. BEST’s model programs benefit workers, hotels, and Boston’s regional economy by placing engaged employees in stable jobs. BEST reaches the working poor – particularly immigrants and people of color – and provides them with the opportunity to obtain a quality job and enter the middle class. Hotel partners report that BEST-trained workers bring the critical thinking skills and cultural competency to perform better with decreased turnover, contributing to stronger financial performance. The Aspen Institute’s interview with Alex Pratt, Area Director of Human Resources at Omni Hotels & Resorts, speaks to BEST’s vital role in preparing top talent and enabling operational excellence. The Aspen Institute recently caught up with Marie Downey, the founding Executive Director of BEST, and Joan Abbot, BEST’s Assistant Director, to learn more about how BEST partners with high road employers to prepare workers to excel in quality jobs.

This brief describes a strategy that helps connect young adults to “now jobs” that address their immediate income needs while continuing to prepare them for long-term career opportunities.