Implementation Evaluation of the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grant Program (SCC) Cohort 2 and Cohort 3

Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grant Program

Implementation Evaluation

Employer

Interview Questions

APPENDIX M

SCC Implementation Evaluation Employer Interview Protocol

 

OMB Control Number: 1290 – 0043 

OMB Expiration Date: 10/31/2025 

Public reporting burden for this questionnaire is estimated to average 60 minutes to complete per response. The burden estimate includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and submitting the questionnaire. This collection of information is voluntary. You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. Please send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information to the U.S. Department of Labor, Chief Evaluation Office, 200 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20210, or email [email protected] and reference OMB control number 1290-0043. NOTE: Please do not send your questionnaire to this address.

[INTERVIEWER fills out information below before reading the instructions]

Date:

Trewon Interviewer:

Begin Time:

End Time:

Instructions below will be read first, and then the interview will be semi-structured. The interviewer will allow the conversation to guide the data collection, returning to the questions as a guide.

Introduction

Thank you for meeting with me today. My name is __________, and my colleague ______________ and I are Research Analysts from Trewon Technologies, an organization supporting the Department of Labor. Your unique perspective and experience as a workforce agency staff will significantly enrich our understanding of the implementation of the [SCC program], funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Strengthening Community Colleges (SCC) Training Grant. This interview will last about 60minutes.

We are conducting a series of virtual interviews to collect feedback about the implementation of SCC-funded programs and to learn about your experience as a workforce agency staff member in the funded program.

You first heard about the potential to participate in this interview when you read and signed the consent form and agreed to enroll in the implementation study. Your participation in this interview is voluntary—If you choose not to participate there will be no effect on you or your involvement with the SCC program.

With your agreement, we would like to record audio of this interview to ensure we accurately capture your insights. We will delete this recording after transcribing, verifying, and approving its content for accuracy. We will keep the information private and secure. You are welcome to ask for clarification on any questions during the interview and may pause or stop the recording or interview at any point. Is it okay if we record this interview? [INTERVIEWER get verbal consent and turn recording on]

During our conversation, anything you say will be kept private to the extent allowed by law. We will not use your name or any other identifying information when we report the results of our study. We won’t share what you say with staff from the [SCC program]. If you do not feel comfortable answering a question, just let me know and we can skip that question and move on to the next question.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act, a government agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 1290-0043 and the expiration date is 10/31/2025.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Can you discuss how your company has participated in the [program name] Program and its graduates' potential role within the business?

2. What skills or qualifications did you seek when hiring graduates of this program, and did/do you expect the program to meet these criteria?

3. Are there any strengths or attributes of future graduates from your program that will distinguish them from other candidates? If that's the case, please elaborate.

4. How effectively has this program prepared graduates to meet your industry's demands, including any specific challenges they might encounter?

5. Can you share any examples or success stories related to students in this program who have the potential to make significant contributions to your organization?

6. Have you identified any areas where the program could strengthen its training or support services better to meet the demands of employers in high-demand industries? What recommendations or suggestions do you have concerning its curriculum, instruction methods, or resources available to graduates?

7. Has the program's emphasis on equity and capacity building affected diversity and inclusion within your organization?

8. What role does the program play in filling workforce gaps or talent shortages within your industry - specifically concerning underrepresented groups?

9. Please discuss any challenges or barriers you have encountered while integrating program participants into your workplace and how the program might assist with meeting these hurdles in the future.

10. What measures or indicators are you utilizing to assess the impact and success of program graduates within your organization?

11. Forward-looking, what recommendations or insights could you offer to increase the program's efficacy in equipping underrepresented individuals for success in high-demand industries from an employer perspective?

At the conclusion of the interview, the interviewer will read the concluding statement below:

Conclusion:

Thank you for your time and sharing your experience. Your feedback will provide valuable information for the implementation evaluation of the [SCC program].