Advocacy & Public Policy

Since inception STRIVE has been actively involved in field research and policy development, discussions of systems change, best practices and modeling innovations. STRIVE has:

• Increased the relevance and accessibility of government agencies through their community-based local offices.
• Proposed changes to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of government-run employment programs city-wide in NYC.
• Shared best practices information locally, regionally, and nationally.
• Designed, implemented and documented innovative programs to promote replication.
• Revised national policies that regulate workforce issues, including welfare policies and workforce development policies.

STRIVE’s current President is a founding Board member of The Workforce Alliance, a national coalition that promotes effective workforce policies on a national and state level. STRIVE staff have participated in discussions at the Federal Reserve about issues facing displaced workers.

STRIVE affiliates frequently work in tandem with their Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers, to help coordinate the best possible employment services for under-served populations.

Consulting Services

Staff from STRIVE National as well as local affiliates provide consulting services and project-specific training programs to employers, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Recent projects include:

• Projet MIRE. STRIVE helped design an employment program in Montreal that was linked to Portage, a long-established drug treatment program. The program incorporated key elements of STRIVE’s attitudinal training (translated into French) and STRIVE’s long-term follow-up process.
• Grady — White Boats. STRIVE of North Carolina conducts training and coaching for employees of this major manufacturer, including performance improvement for current employees and orientation for new hires. Focus is on building a workforce with positive attitudes and a strong work ethic.
• Urban League of Middle Tennessee. STRIVE National conducted a feasibility study for launching new workforce programs to meet the Nashville region’s need for workers at all levels of the health care industry.
• Youth Opportunity Grant Agencies. The team of trainers from the STRIVE Academy provided training for the staff of several Youth Opportunity sites around the country along with targeted staff skills for providing effective employment services to their participants.
• Public/Private Ventures. STRIVE staff helped design and deliver a two-day training program on "Using Data to Improve Performance." This hands-on, interactive program was delivered to non-profit workforce programs and Workforce Investment Boards around the country.
• Self-help. STRIVE provides an attitudinal training component for trainees and managers of a New York City agency providing home health care to thousands of elderly and displaced residents.