AIDT , a division of the Alabama Department of Commerce, and AlabamaWorks, an organization dedicated to recruiting, training, and empowering Alabama’s workforce, originally wanted to know which segments of the state’s population were the most likely to be unemployed or underemployed. Additionally, they wanted to know which groups of Alabamians were most likely to be looking for work.
An Unprecedented Change Created the Need for New Data
A year later, the organizations sought information on which segments were most open to being re-skilled and placed in more resilient industries, what had been their past resistance to re-skilling or training, what steps Alabamians were willing to take to find new employment (training, professional development, short term education, long term education), which messages and message channels resonated with each audience, and how the coronavirus pandemic was impacting the state’s un/underemployed people.
The organizations needed to be sure they had accurate information in order to help get their state’s unemployment level, which had skyrocketed from record lows to nearly 10%, back to a manageable percentage. To that end, they partnered with The Decision Co. to conduct a custom statewide research project.
In the second survey, TDC interviewed 500 un/underemployed people across the state using an online survey platform whereby respondents were only able to participate by unique, secure invitations delivered via email and mobile device notifications. Only one response was allowed per respondent.
The research identified which industries in the state had been hit the hardest by the pandemic, which industries the un/underemployed were most interested in joining, and which segments of the population were most likely to be experiencing un/underemployment. More importantly, the research identified which industries respondents would prefer if they had access to free training and what types of free training they would actually attend.
It’s a Partnership, Not a Project
By entrusting The Decision Co. with the research, AIDT and AlabamaWorks were able to gather accurate information that helped them craft employment training and education opportunities for citizens of the state. Now, TDC is a trusted ongoing partner tasked with providing the insights needed to create intelligence for employment action.
“Our focus is on helping the un- and underemployed in our state, but this time we were the ones getting help. The Decision Co. showed us what we needed to do to get people back on their feet and our state’s unemployment rate back down. We knew we could trust their information—that’s why we’re partnering with them again this year.”
– Ed Castile, AIDT Director