Inside the Black Box - Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

Success Factors: External
Engagement with Employers,
Programs, Community, and Policy
Successful workforce development programs do not operate independently; rather, they engage with a
variety of external stakeholders to promote essential relationships, impact their communities, and
advocate for improved workforce policies. Specifically, organizations develop strong relationships with
employers, who are often considered program clients along with program participants, as well as with
many community agents in order to fully serve their participants. Community-based organizations also
work with each other collaboratively to meet the needs of program participants and employers, and
actively participate in policy and advocacy efforts in support of workforce programs and services. These
external engagements are critical to the success of the organization. Although all of the workforce
development providers in the study emphasized the importance of external relationships with employers,
other programs, and the community, most organizations use more informal means to monitor and assess
these relationships and vary greatly in the extent to which they collect data to assess the quantity, quality,
and effectiveness of engagement with external partners.
Relationships with Employers
All of the workforce development organizations who participated in this study emphasized the importance
of strong employer relationships as a key component for program success, with dedicated efforts to ensure
employers’ needs are being met. While workforce programs are obviously dedicated to serving those
seeking job training and employment, achieving successful job placements cannot be accomplished
without establishing strong, trusted relationships with employers.
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