HOW will Independence County ensure sustainable access to a living wage for the emerging workforce?

THE PROBLEM

IMPACT Independence County is rooted in the core belief that every resident has the right to strive to create the environment they desire.

Through our collaborative SYSTEMS REDESIGN work with Civic Lab, we are rethinking how we collaborate to dissolve problems.

Through years of engagement with our community, we have learned that workforce problems often begin as social issues. We view social issues not as isolated instances but as systems problems. In other words, there is a problem with how we have chosen to work together as individuals journey through our systems.

As we consider increasing access to a living wage, we must engage many stakeholders with diverse responsibilities and services throughout the system.

Real Stories

  • Persona 1

    Annie

    A female student enrolled in an alternative learning environment (ALE) transitioned to a virtual learning option during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually returned to in-person education in the ALE. She accessed numerous services—like the food pantry and mental health resources—but the deep cycle of poverty in her family remained an overwhelming barrier. Sadly, she didn't complete her concurrent class, and while she did graduate, she may now be facing time in a correctional facility.

  • Persona 2

    Bobby

    A student-athlete who lived with his grandmother was chronically absent and lacked motivation to attend school. He had a relationship with his coaches but was not motivated to participate in the classroom. School attendance was driven solely by athletic participation. The student was a JAG participant but cannot be tracked now.

  • Persona 3

    Claire

    A female student who experienced a teen pregnancy accessed several services like "parents as teachers." She enrolled in concurrent courses but ultimately dropped the course due to conflicting priorities. The student now lives in a domestic violence shelter and works at a fast food job as she completes her K-12 education.

  • Persona 4

    Doug

    A student was from a "broken home," where drug use, neglect, maltreatment, and unmet mental health needs for family and student existed. He transitioned to junior high from an elementary ALE program before ultimately returning to the ALE program. He received school-based mental health, interacted multiple times with the juvenile justice system, and received unlimited opportunities to complete classroom assignments. He frequently interacted with a counselor but failed in the junior high system. He is now incarcerated for a major crime.

  • Persona 5

    Ellen

    A neurodivergent student with a weak support system at home faces significant academic and behavioral challenges at school, resulting in intermittent interactions with the juvenile justice system. School staff encourages the student to get involved in the EMT program at UACCB, but the student eventually drops out. The student is now enrolled in a hybrid ALE program to gain their diploma.

  • Persona 6

    Frank

    A student was offered multiple college opportunities, including transportation and dorm room supplies, but did not take advantage of the offers.

What do these stories tell us? 

  • LOW-RESILIENCE & PERSISTENCE Many individuals struggle long before adulthood with low resilience and persistence due to the high prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and insufficient developmental assets to combat them. These factors critically undermine their ability to attain educational milestones, such as a high school diploma, further education or training, and ultimately, living wage employment.

  • INCONSISTENT ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITIES Opportunities that could illuminate a path forward for the emerging workforce are sporadic and vary greatly in both access and quality, based on where a student attends school. This inconsistency leaves many students without clear or reliable pathways to envision a better future.

    • Students often feel disconnected from available opportunities, perceiving them as "not for me." This perception can stem from a lack of personalization and relatability in the way these opportunities are presented.

    • Many students exhibit a lack of engagement with school, career pathways, or supportive resources. This disengagement may be driven by previous experiences of failure, disconnection from their communities, or a belief that current opportunities are not meaningful or impactful.

    • Students often do not form deep enough connections with mentors, educators, or future employers to inspire meaningful action. Without strong, trusting relationships, students are less likely to take ownership of their futures or invest in their own success.

    • A common belief among students is, “I can’t do it,” especially when they face discouragement from others. This lack of self-efficacy hinders their willingness to take risks or strive toward ambitious goals, compounding the impact of external challenges.


What targeted approaches might be needed for specific sub-groups of people who are situated in the system differently? 

by the numbers

$18.25/hr

Living Wage in Independence County

5 %

Students in Grades 10-12 Enrolled in

Secondary Career Center

24%

Students in Grades 10-12 Enrolled in AP Courses

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

20%

Students in Grades 10-12 Enrolled in Concurrent Coursework

Early Childhood STUDENT ENROLLMENT

By 4 years old, Independence County licensed early childhood education providers are blending public and private funding to serve 100% of our presumed Kindergarten cohort. Conversely, they are only serving approximately 14% of infants, 30% of one year olds, and 56% of two year olds.

k-12 STUDENT ENROLLMENT

Distribution of Work-Based Learning by Grade

2023-2024 School Year Data

Percentage of Under 18 Population living in Poverty

    1. Physicians

    2. Pharmacists

    3. Dentists

    4. Nurse Practitioners

    5. Chief Executives

    6. Logisticians

    7. Industrial Production Managers

    8. Computer & Information Systems Managers

    9. Physical Therapist

    10. Commercial Pilots

    11. Engineers

    12. Occupational Therapists

    13. Financial Managers

    14. Loan Officers

    15. Administrative Services Managers

    16. Medical & Health Services Managers

    17. Electrical Engineers

    18. Computer Systems Analyst

    19. Lawyers

    20. Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

    1. First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

    2. Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

    3. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

    4. Registered Nurses

    5. Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

    6. Physical Therapists

    7. Postsecondary Teachers

    8. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

    9. Home Health and Personal Care Aides

    10. Customer Service Representatives

    11. General and Operations Managers

    12. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

    13. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary

    14. Production Workers

    15. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists

    16. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

    17. Stockers and Order Fillers

    18. Industrial Production Managers

    19. Pharmacy Technicians

    20. Health Technologists and Technicians

Stakeholder

Engagement

Redesigning a social system requires significant collaboration among numerous stakeholders with diverse responsibilities and services.

Our SYSTEM

How we work

How will Independence County ensure sustainable access to a living wage for the emerging workforce?

A “living wage” in Independence County is $18.25/hour, based on the MIT Living Wage Calculator, which is a place-based methodology adopted to determine how much an individual in a household must earn to cover the cost of basic needs.

“Emerging workforce” includes individuals 0-25 in Independence County, primarily students who are enrolled in an education or work-based learning program within our system.

Principles that amp up ambition

STUDENT-CENTERED
”Treat me with respect and allow my voice to be heard.”

ASSET-BASED
”Help me build on my strengths and push me to keep getting better.”

EQUITY-FOCUSED
”Support me with what I need to achieve my potential.”

CULTURALLY-COMPETENT
”Show me that I belong and respect me for who I am.”

PROACTIVELY-SUPPORTIVE
”Help me achieve my goals.”

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED
”Connect me with people and places in my community.”

MEASURED-ACHIEVEMENT
”Improve my life outcomes.”

SYSTEM-BUILDING SUPPORTS

  • WorkWired Guiding Team

  • Stakeholder Engagement Process

  • Guiding Principles

  • Backbone and Project Management Support

  • Integrated Support Team

SCHOOL-BASED STRATEGIES

  • School-based strategies co-created with staff, students, and families

  • Relationship- and Asset-Building

  • Integrated Support Teams

TARGETED APPROACHES

  • Equitable Access

  • Readiness Recovery

  • At Risk of Non-Completion

  • Prevention & Re-engagement of Stop Out

  • TANF

  • Work-Based Learning

powering the grid

  • Independence County Early Childhood Education Providers

  • Independence County Public Schools

    • Counseling and Advising Teams

    • Career Coaches

    • EAST Facilitators

    • JAG Facilitators

    • School-Based Mental Health Providers

    • Apprenticeship Coordinators

    • CTE Program Faculty

    • ALE Program Faculty

    • SPED Teams

    • Multicultural Student Service Teams

  • University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville

    • Concurrent Enrollment

    • Secondary Career Center

    • Adult Education GED

    • Prior Learning Assessment

    • Apprenticeship

  • IMPACT Independence County

    • Facilitation and Project Management Support

  • WIOA

    • In & Out School Youth Programs

  • 100 Families

    • Collective Impact Team

    • Direct Service Providers

    • Indirect Service Providers

    • HopeHub Tracking & Reporting System

  • Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce

    • Employers with Living Wage Occupations

conductors

Capacity & Engagement

  • Partnership Health Ratings

Aspiration & Preparation

  • Access to Quality Early Childhood Education

  • Kindergarten Readiness

  • Third Grade Reading Proficiency

  • WorkWired Students

  • FAFSA Completion Rates

  • Diplomas of Distinction

Resilience & PersistENCE

  • Crisis to Career Achievement

  • Employment Retention

  • Stop Out

  • Credit Recovery

Future ready Connections

  • Employer Engagement

  • Work-Based Learning Enrollment

  • JAG Job Placements

  • Postsecondary Enrollment

Mobility measures

  • Postsecondary Program Completions

  • Median Household Income

  • Educational Attainment

Currents to measure

High voltage outcomes

Integrated Approach

  • Form new and better ways of working together, creating an integrated approach that improves system delivery

prepared for life

  • Students gain the foundation necessary for a strong start in education and life

  • Students have a clear aspiration and are prepared for the rigor of postsecondary or work

  • Students are on track to graduate high school no later than the start of 10th grade and all postsecondary students receive the support needed to persist to completion

Living Wage Leverage

  • Employers engage students in a variety of occupations for which to develop interest and provide opportunities to create relationships with them

  • Students with interest in occupations available in Independence County connect with employers of those occupations

  • Students gain practical, industry specific and essential workplace skills to market to future employers

WORk groups

  • This work group aims to engage more students to be WorkWired. WorkWired students engage in value-added experiences completing with a credential, credit, or earned income.

    Examples of WorkWired experiences are AP credit, concurrent credit, work-based learning, JAG job placement, etc.

    Students that are “WorkWired” are aligned with the ultimate opportunity to earn a diploma of distinction upon graduation from high school and enter postsecondary education or their career with experience, valuable skills and/or knowledge, and demonstrated competencies.

    Meeting Schedule: First Tuesday of each month

    Meeting Time: 9:00 a.m.

    Meeting Location: UACCB Independence Hall

    Work Products

  • Led by employers, this work group is focused on identifying and engaging employers to offer work-based learning opportunities, standardizing policies and workflow associated with matching students, managing experiences, and evaluating outcomes, preparation for both employers offering and students participating in work-based learning, and communicating program challenges and successes.

    Meeting Schedule: First Tuesday of each month

    Meeting Time: 9:00 a.m.

    Meeting Location: UACCB Independence Hall

    Work Products

  • The 100 Families initiative in Independence County collectively impacts families in crisis by connecting them with resources and career opportunities and improve their status until they are thriving. In order to be eligible, the adult must meet eligibility criteria including having a dependent under 18 years of age, which makes the initiative a strategy that improves the lives of two (or more) generations.

    Work is measured through reporting aggregated by the HopeHub tracking system.

    Meeting Schedule & Location: Collective Impact Monthly Meetings - TBA Here

    Work Products