PODCAST · business
Making Better Work
by SPRA
Recovery. Equity. Automation. Climate. Quality jobs. For workforce professionals, these pose challenges and opportunities in equal measure. Making sense of it all starts with data. #MakingBetterWork talks with data insiders (from public, private, nonprofit sectors) who help us understand how modern education and labor markets work, and prepare for a #futureofwork we want to be part of. To learn more, visit https://www.spra.com/.
Episodes
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Episode #26: "Our data is a reflection of our moral values." JFFLabs' Josh Copus and Eshwar Eswaran on the organization's new Outcomes for Opportunity initiative (O4O).
This week host Kristin Wolff explores O4O—an exciting effort within the ecosystem of program stakeholders, data and performance experts, and civic tech champions trying gain more value from the vast amount of data the workforce system collects. This JFFLabs' initiative focuses on creating value…
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Episode #25: "We need to link how we track education and training in the classroom with what is occurring at work." SPR Senior Strategist Vinz Koller on opportunities in apprenticeship.
It's Apprenticeship Week! #NAW2021 In honor of the occasion we're speaking with Vinz Koller about apprenticeship, data, equity and a vision for the future. Vinz leads the organization's apprenticeship portfolio. Resources cited: Leveraging Workforce Data Systems to Improve Programs: The Case of...
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Episode #24: "How does tech … innovate alongside government?" Bitwise Industries' Michelle Skoor shares insights.
Michelle is Bitwise's Chief Workforce Officer and served as Director and launch architect of the organization's Onward platform, first developed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Michelle helps catch us up on Bitwise's growth—especially in apprenticeship—and shares important...
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Episode #23: Dr. Annelies Goger says we need "a data framework that mirrors a living system" — and can evolve with need.
In this episode, Dr. Annelies Goger, Rubenstein Fellow at Brookings, shares her insights about workforce policy and programs and identifies practical steps we can take to improve them through better data and modern data systems. Annelies offers a rare perspective on workforce data. As a…
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Episode #22: "Setting up data systems for the next crisis – [that's the] work now." Checking in with New Jersey's Dr. Sean Simone.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sean Simone, Director of Research and Evaluation at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development (Rutgers University) in New Jersey. We cover traditional workforce data topics – like NJ's evolving training provider data systems (ETPL) – and what it means to…
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Episode #21: The Promise of Cloud Technology meets the Urgency of Now: Making the Most of the Pandemic, with Dr. Julia Lane
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Julia Lane, cofounder of the Coleridge Initiative—a program that aims to transform the way governments access and use data for social good. It's a wide-ranging discussion covering major themes in Julia's new book, Democratizing Our Data: A Manifesto, new public...
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Episode #20: "Cloud computing has democratized data….COVID has accelerated demand for it."
This episode is jaw-dropping. Spanning massive changes in data to the thriller-style story Rhode Island's successful Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program launch in under 10 days, Dr. Justine Hastings shares a wealth of insights, lessons, and possibilities from her experience working…
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Episode #19: COVID Chaos, Data & Silver Linings: No More Saying "We Can't" Because We Just Demonstrated "We Can."
In this episode, we turn the tables. Producer Doug Foresta interviews Kristin Wolff about the impact of COVID-19 on WDQI and partner data projects. The two barely take a breath in this impromptu chat about the crises and opportunities the pandemic has made evident, and the vastly expanded...
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Episode #18: Colorado's Data Journey: "We're building value for the future into our systems now."
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Mark Duey and Kevan Fish, project leads for Colorado's Workforce Data Quality Initiative with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. Mark and Kevan share Colorado's effort to build data-rich, human-centered systems that respond to the...
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Episode #17: California's Building System to Help More Californians Benefit from the State's Treasure Trove of Workforce Data
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Patrick Getz, project lead for California's Workforce Data Quality Initiative, with the California Workforce Development Board. We learn about the state's efforts to standardize, improve, and connect data from across programs into a system that...
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Episode #16: BrightHive Co-Founder Natalie Evans Harris: "Data & technology should enable people to do great things...Effective governance is how we do it."
Kristin Wolff talks with Natalie Evans Harris, BrightHive Co-Founder, Beeck Center (Georgetown) Fellow, and White House and National Security Administration Alumna. Natalie is one of the foremost experts in the country on data governance. She's worked at the highest levels of the federal…
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Episode #15: Longitudinal data system building in Maine: 'Our mission is to support data-based decision making and evaluation.'
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Hunter Morancy, Senior Economic Research Analyst at the Center for Workforce Research and Information in Maine. Hunter is the point person for Maine's Workforce Data Quality Initiative or WDQI, part of the national effort to build longitudinal...
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Episode #14: The Shift from Compliance to Learning: How Public Agencies are Using Data to Learn What Works
"The changes are staggering!" In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Dr. Marian Negoita, Senior Associate at Social Policy Research (what a treat to interview a colleague!). Marian is an expert in federal program evaluation. He's evaluated dozens of workforce, education, and human...
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Episode #13: Is it time to "knit together the workforce system crazy quilt of data so we can really use it to drive performance?" Dr. Joshua Hawley (The Ohio State University) thinks so.
Dr. Josh Hawley is a workforce data guru. An Associate Professor in the Glenn College and an Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, Dr. Hawley also leads the Ohio Education Research Center, a collaboration of six Ohio universities and four...
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Episode #12: Kristin Talks with Joshua Mallett About the New (Researchers') World of Collaborative Tools, Reproducible Research, and DataViz and How They Can Help Us Move Forward Faster
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Joshua Mallett, Senior Associate at Social Policy Research (what a treat to interview a colleague!) Josh is fairly new to SPR, so it was a special treat for Kristin to engage him in the wide-ranging discussion of how he built a career in public...
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Episode #11: Reflecting on the World of Workforce Data- Looking Back, Looking Forward
In episode, we turn the tables and interview Kristin Wolff, the host of #MakingBetterWork about what's going on in the world of workforce data and what we can look forward to next year – and it's a lot. Turns out the data can be useful in helping us navigate the #FutureofWork. Here's the last...
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Episode #10: "Data. It's every bit as important as oil or sunshine. Our partners know that." How Mississippi is Using Data to Transform its Education and Workforce Systems
In this episode, our host, Kristin Wolff, talks with Laura Ring and Dr. Jonathan Barlow. Laura is the Director of the Office of Grant Management at the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, and Jonathan is the Associate Director of Software Architecture and Development at NSPARC –…
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Episode #9: Structuring Data and Exploring Credentials of Value- A Conversation with the Workforce Data Quality Campaign's Jenna Leventoff
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Jenna Leventoff, Senior Policy Analyst for the Workforce Data Quality Campaign (WDQC) in Washington DC, and long-time thought partner, data advocate, and master documentarian of all things workforce data. Jenna offers an insider's view of major...
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Episode #8: New Data Systems in the Yellowhammer State: Alabama's Effort to Build Better Talent Pipelines
Tonya Lee, Assistant Labor Market Information Director at the Alabama Department of Labor, is our guest this week on Making Better Work. Alabama joined the workforce longitudinal data community in 2018, after securing its first ever federal WDQI grant. The state has a bold vision for working with...
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Episode #7: Farriers and Labor Market Flows in the Show-Me State: Exploring Longitudinal Workforce Data in Missouri
Clinton Flowers is the guest in this episode of Making Better Work. He leads the Workforce Data Quality Initiative (WDQI) effort in Missouri. A strategist by nature and a planner in practice, Clinton believes that curating and contextualizing data is as important as providing it – which is why...
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Episode #6: 'Bridging databases is not simple, but it is amazing.' Highlights from Iowa's longitudinal data adventure.
In this episode, our host, Kristin Wolff, talks with Paul Nissen and Vladimir Bassis. Paula is the Lead Education Program Consultant for Community College Management Information System (CC MIS) within the Iowa Department of Education; and her colleague, Vlad, has worked on data and analysis for…
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Episode #5: Let's think less about "labor market events" and more about the journey to rewarding employment.
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Dr. Greg Weeks, consultant researcher, professor, and former Director of Washington State's Labor Market Information system. Greg has authored numerous papers looking at the returns to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) – the labor...
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Episode #4: 'The public sector is one of the largest purveyors of important data. What if we could better connect it and use it responsibly?'
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Amelia Roberts and Robert Kalaskowsi. Amelia is the Data and Performance Manager for the Governor's Workforce Board of Rhode Island (GWB) and Robert is the Assistant Chief of Policy and Planning with the RI Governor's Workforce Board. The two of...
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Episode #3: Tech, Data, and the Future of Work: Workforce Leaders Navigating Disruptive Change
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Josh Copus, Entrepreneur in residence at Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aligning and improving education and workforce systems and services so that everyone can access economic opportunity. Josh works in the part of…
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Episode #2: "The focus needs to be on getting data out": The Importance of Trust and Collaboration in Working with Data
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Dr. Kate Akers, who, after having guided the development of KY's education and workforce data efforts for six years, and leading the evolution of the state's P20W Data Collaborative project into what is now the KY Center for Statistics, will be...
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Episode #1: Indiana's Workforce Data Wizards Help Hoosiers Get into Great Jobs and Careers
In this episode, our host Kristin Wolff talks with Fran Valentine and Diana Barrett, from Indiana's workforce data team. Fran is the Senior Director of Research, Analysis & Engagement at the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, and Diana is her colleague and the Assistant Director at the...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Recovery. Equity. Automation. Climate. Quality jobs. For workforce professionals, these pose challenges and opportunities in equal measure. Making sense of it all starts with data. #MakingBetterWork talks with data insiders (from public, private, nonprofit sectors) who help us understand how modern education and labor markets work, and prepare for a #futureofwork we want to be part of. To learn more, visit https://www.spra.com/.
HOSTED BY
SPRA
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Making Better Work have?
Making Better Work currently has 26 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Making Better Work about?
Recovery. Equity. Automation. Climate. Quality jobs. For workforce professionals, these pose challenges and opportunities in equal measure. Making sense of it all starts with data. #MakingBetterWork talks with data insiders (from public, private, nonprofit sectors) who help us understand how modern...
How often does Making Better Work release new episodes?
Making Better Work has 26 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Making Better Work?
You can listen to Making Better Work on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Making Better Work?
Making Better Work is created and hosted by SPRA.
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