In the first episode of this new series, Michelle had a compelling conversation with Jeff Strohl, Ph.D., who serves as Research Professor and Director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW). Dr. Strohl was one of the Center's founding staff and served as CEW's Director of Research since 2008. In this position, he led the Center's research agenda. In particular, this focused on the intersection of education and labor market analyses and their impact on policy. While directing research, Dr. Strohl also continued his work on biases in postsecondary and labor market outcomes.

During this conversation, they also discussed CEW's data-rich report, "Small Towns, Big Opportunities: Many Workers in Rural Areas Have Good Jobs, but These Areas Need Greater Investment in Education, Training, and Career Counseling." They continue the conversation by discussing disparities between good jobs for men and women in rural areas, persistent inequality for racial and ethnic minority groups, the challenges of non-participation in the labor force, and promising occupations for workers in rural areas. Dr. Strohl also highlights how challenges in rural areas can be addressed by building rural human capital, utilizing existing human capital, and stimulating rural economic growth.

In part two of this episode, Michelle was joined by Kayla C. Elliott, Ph.D., Director of Workforce Policy at The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America's Black think tank. Her team centers Black communities in policy debates concerning the future of work, workforce development, and access to good jobs by developing and advocating for robust policy solutions that prioritize Black workers and learners today and in the future. Previously, Dr. Elliott was the director of higher education policy at The Education Trust and held various teaching and research positions at Florida Atlantic University, where she earned a Ph.D. in higher education leadership.

Michelle and Dr. Elliott's conversation provides context to the history of Black workers and industry in the South, and they discuss the connection between policy and postsecondary education and the impact of training and career development on young Black workers today. The conversation also focuses on the Joint Center's report on the Future of Work in the Black Rural South, highlighting the region's historical significance and challenges due to automation and low-cost labor, and touches on apprenticeships, the barriers Black apprentices face, and the data challenges in understanding Black WIOA participants in the South. Dr. Elliott emphasizes the importance of addressing racial inequality, putting workers first, and prioritizing job quality in policy and workforce development.

Ascendium sponsors this episode of The Rural Impact podcast, believing that learning after high school transforms lives. Driven by this belief, their philanthropy focuses on systemic change to elevate opportunities for learners from low-income backgrounds. Ascendium has a particular interest in elevating rural postsecondary education and workforce training. They fund research and resources to help ensure more rural learners have pathways to good jobs that lead to upward mobility. Learn more about their Rural Impact at ascendiumphilanthropy.org, sign up for their newsletter, and follow them on social media.

Show Resources:

Five Charts To Understand Black Registered Apprentices in the United States: https://jointcenter.org/five-charts-to-understand-black-registered-apprentices-in-the-united-states/

An Introduction To the Future Of Work in the Black Rural South https://jointcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Intro-to-the-Future-of-Work-in-the-Black-Rural-South.pdf

Small Towns, Big Opportunities
https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/cew-small_towns_big_opportunity-full_report.pdf