Quality Jobs Initiative

Helping companies thrive by improving job quality for workers and boosting performance.

Only

40%

40%

of American workers are in a good job

70%

70%

of employee turnover is related to factors beyond pay and benefits

Quality Jobs Boost MoraleReduce TurnoverCreate Prosperity

In 2021, the Columbia-Willamette Workforce Collaborative (CWWC) launched the Quality Jobs Initiative to define and promote Quality Jobs in our region. This effort reflects a commitment to valuing work and fostering economic opportunities that support workers, businesses, and communities.

The initiative establishes regional guidelines for identifying quality jobs and provides resources for public and private partners to break down barriers and leverage unique funding opportunities to fuel regional growth of quality jobs. A simple principle lies at the heart of the Quality Jobs Initiative: good jobs—offering competitive wages, benefits, predictable hours, training, and advancement opportunities—benefit both workers and businesses.

To develop the Quality Jobs Framework, the CWWC engaged cross-sectoral partners, including businesses, workers, labor organizations, service providers, and government agencies. The initiative prioritizes creating opportunities for workers who are low income, unemployed, underemployed, and receiving public assistance, who are disproportionately subject to low wages, poor-quality working conditions, and a lack of quality career pathways.

What is a Quality Job?

To increase employee retention and boost performance, a Quality Job includes a combination of the following characteristics:

Self-Sufficiency Wages

Self-Sufficiency Wages

Jobs that provide or have structured career pathways to wages that ensure a decent standard of living, aligning with established self-sufficiency standards that account for family composition and cost of living.

Safe Working Conditions/Worker Engagement

Safe Working Conditions/Worker Engagement

Jobs that provide a safe, respectful, and inclusive work environment encompassing feedback mechanisms for employees, clearly communicated policies, and regular employee engagement with supervisors.

Training and Advancement Opportunities

Training and Advancement Opportunities

Jobs that include pathways for skill-building, career progression, and access to professional development and training programs for current workers.

Comprehensive Benefits

Comprehensive Benefits

Jobs that offer essential benefits that enhance economic security and overall well-being, such as healthcare, child care, transportation, wellness programs, and retirement savings options.

Transparent Hiring and Onboarding Practices

Transparent Hiring and Onboarding Practices

Jobs that have transparent hiring practices that include skills-based hiring decisions, removing unnecessary qualifications and/or recruitment through community-based workforce programs and job centers.

Predictable Hours

Predictable Hours

Jobs that provide predictable and consistent schedules and offer reasonable scheduling accommodations and flexibility to increase retention.

Key Results

With the framework in place, implementing Quality Job strategies in our region is our current focus. To date:

100+ Career Coaches have been trained in our framework to identify Quality Jobs and in-demand career pathways within our targeted sectors. These opportunities focus on roles that do not require a college degree or formal training.

50+ local workforce staff have been trained on implementing the Quality Jobs framework and emerging national Good Jobs strategies. 

On-the-Job Training investments now exclusively support jobs that offer pathways to self-sufficiency, including wages and benefits such as healthcare and paid time off as a minimum standard.

Funding allocated for business engagement and training to advance Quality Job strategies has been secured through US Department of Labor QUEST DWG & HECC Industry Engagement Funds.