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The new report explores the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural STARs, particularly in the context of the economic disparities and demographic shifts occurring in rural America. While STARs comprise more than half of the national workforce (51%), they comprise a significantly higher proportion of the rural workforce (65%), making this population of workers an important area of focus for the broader STARs movement. We asked the ACT and Opportunity@Work team members behind this project to discuss why they did it, what they learned, and what comes next.
Why did you, personally, want to conduct this research?
Courtney Haynes, senior vice president and chief engagement officer, Opportunity@Work: From a personal perspective, the potential and realization of rural workers as an essential backbone of our economy runs deep. As a daughter of a coal miner, raised in southern West Virginia, I grew up with a genuine understanding of what meaningful work is and the cultural aspects of what a job means to someone’s ability to provide for their family. Access to a good-paying job is a catalyst for so much more.
Why did you, personally, want to conduct this research?
Courtney Haynes, senior vice president and chief engagement officer, Opportunity@Work: From a personal perspective, the potential and realization of rural workers as an essential backbone of our economy runs deep. As a daughter of a coal miner, raised in southern West Virginia, I grew up with a genuine understanding of what meaningful work is and the cultural aspects of what a job means to someone’s ability to provide for their family. Access to a good-paying job is a catalyst for so much more.
Traveling the country for years – working in coal communities and the rural heartland with various organizations and the federal government – has only reinforced this same perspective and experience. With transitions in technology, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and more, rural workers are again at the center of workforce development, and we must actively recruit, hire, and advance these workers for individual and collective prosperity as a country.
Cindy Hill, principal research psychologist, ACT: I've met many STARs during my years working with ACT Work Ready Communities. Seeing someone in a low-wage job with no pathway forward is discouraging. But I've also seen and heard many stories of someone taking the ACT WorkKeys assessments, earning an ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate at the Gold or Platinum level, and their employer recognizing their potential and putting them on a career path within the company.
I’ve also seen how success can be achieved outside of conventional education and career trajectories – like it was for Reid, in Iowa. Reid found traditional education and office work unfulfilling, so he turned to the skills he learned from his father’s lawn mowing business. He started his own landscaping company, and after 10 years, he successfully employs five people.
We know from previous research that degree requirements, social networks, and misperceptions all contribute to employment barriers for STARs. What new information or findings does this latest research bring to the table to help us better understand and tear down those barriers?
Connie Kwong, Research Analyst, Opportunity@Work: By linking outcomes data from ACT’s Work Ready Communities program to census data, we can understand the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the counties participating in the program. This could help us identify which factors are facilitators or barriers to successful program participation.
Moreover, this enables us to better understand the potential of Work Ready Communities to improve economic and racial equity. For example, we learned that Black workers are overrepresented in Work Ready Communities. Black workers comprise 17% of the Work Ready Community workforce – compared to 11% of the overall U.S. labor force – and nearly half of all Black rural STARs live in participating counties.
Did the findings raise any new questions for you or opportunities for further research?
Haynes: This research is a foundational cornerstone of much more work to be done – bridging research, narrative, data, and networks together to align and realize the potential of our rural workers.
Hill: The findings underscore the necessity for more detailed data on rural STARs to address key questions about job availability, mobility, and career pathways. However, gathering this granular data poses several challenges, such as limited data availability, privacy concerns due to smaller populations, and resource constraints. Overcoming these obstacles requires targeted strategies and collaboration with local stakeholders.
Additionally, future research should combine both quantitative and qualitative data to gain a comprehensive understanding of these issues, enabling tailored strategies for employers, policymakers, and community leaders to effectively support rural STARs.
If you could offer just one piece of advice to rural communities that want to better support the economic mobility of STARs, what would it be?
Hill: Rural communities should invest in accessible, high-quality training and education programs. This can include partnerships with local businesses, community colleges, and online education platforms to provide relevant skills training that aligns with the needs of the local job market. By creating pathways for continuous learning and skill development, rural communities can help STARs gain the qualifications and experience needed to advance in their careers.
Kwong: In rural areas, STARs can face a unique set of barriers, such as limited access to transportation and digital resources, fewer job opportunities, and smaller professional networks. By strengthening these networks through local mentorship programs, partnerships between businesses and education institutions, or community-driven resource hubs, rural communities can help create pathways and access to better opportunities. This helps STARs connect to potential employers or career mentors and creates a supportive ecosystem that can assist with overcoming the compounding challenges of family obligations, financial constraints, and limited access to technology.
Additional links:
Access the new research from ACT and Opportunity@Work.
Learn more from Haynes and Opportunity@Work CEO Byron Auguste about the context and reasoning for the research.
Hear more about STARs and the collaboration between ACT and Opportunity@Work on the ACT Ready for Work podcast.
Learn more about ACT Work Ready Communities.
Cindy Hill, principal research psychologist, ACT: I've met many STARs during my years working with ACT Work Ready Communities. Seeing someone in a low-wage job with no pathway forward is discouraging. But I've also seen and heard many stories of someone taking the ACT WorkKeys assessments, earning an ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate at the Gold or Platinum level, and their employer recognizing their potential and putting them on a career path within the company.
I’ve also seen how success can be achieved outside of conventional education and career trajectories – like it was for Reid, in Iowa. Reid found traditional education and office work unfulfilling, so he turned to the skills he learned from his father’s lawn mowing business. He started his own landscaping company, and after 10 years, he successfully employs five people.
We know from previous research that degree requirements, social networks, and misperceptions all contribute to employment barriers for STARs. What new information or findings does this latest research bring to the table to help us better understand and tear down those barriers?
Connie Kwong, Research Analyst, Opportunity@Work: By linking outcomes data from ACT’s Work Ready Communities program to census data, we can understand the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the counties participating in the program. This could help us identify which factors are facilitators or barriers to successful program participation.
Moreover, this enables us to better understand the potential of Work Ready Communities to improve economic and racial equity. For example, we learned that Black workers are overrepresented in Work Ready Communities. Black workers comprise 17% of the Work Ready Community workforce – compared to 11% of the overall U.S. labor force – and nearly half of all Black rural STARs live in participating counties.
Did the findings raise any new questions for you or opportunities for further research?
Haynes: This research is a foundational cornerstone of much more work to be done – bridging research, narrative, data, and networks together to align and realize the potential of our rural workers.
Hill: The findings underscore the necessity for more detailed data on rural STARs to address key questions about job availability, mobility, and career pathways. However, gathering this granular data poses several challenges, such as limited data availability, privacy concerns due to smaller populations, and resource constraints. Overcoming these obstacles requires targeted strategies and collaboration with local stakeholders.
Additionally, future research should combine both quantitative and qualitative data to gain a comprehensive understanding of these issues, enabling tailored strategies for employers, policymakers, and community leaders to effectively support rural STARs.
If you could offer just one piece of advice to rural communities that want to better support the economic mobility of STARs, what would it be?
Hill: Rural communities should invest in accessible, high-quality training and education programs. This can include partnerships with local businesses, community colleges, and online education platforms to provide relevant skills training that aligns with the needs of the local job market. By creating pathways for continuous learning and skill development, rural communities can help STARs gain the qualifications and experience needed to advance in their careers.
Kwong: In rural areas, STARs can face a unique set of barriers, such as limited access to transportation and digital resources, fewer job opportunities, and smaller professional networks. By strengthening these networks through local mentorship programs, partnerships between businesses and education institutions, or community-driven resource hubs, rural communities can help create pathways and access to better opportunities. This helps STARs connect to potential employers or career mentors and creates a supportive ecosystem that can assist with overcoming the compounding challenges of family obligations, financial constraints, and limited access to technology.
Additional links:
Access the new research from ACT and Opportunity@Work.
Learn more from Haynes and Opportunity@Work CEO Byron Auguste about the context and reasoning for the research.
Hear more about STARs and the collaboration between ACT and Opportunity@Work on the ACT Ready for Work podcast.
Learn more about ACT Work Ready Communities.