REMOTE online initiative Annual Program Report 2020-2021
CONTRIBUTORS
Program Director Paul Hill, Ph.D. Program Manager Dominic Bria, Psy.D.
Contents 2
Introductory Letter
Program Evaluator & Data Scientist Amanda Ali, Ph.D. Program Coordinators Abbey Bean Katie Christensen Jordan Leonard Jake Marino Mike Sarles Emy Swadley Jacob Webb Trenton Willson
3
Background Information
Editors Julene Reese Andrea Snarr
4 Graphic Designer Olivia Yeip
Awards
7
Master Remote Work Professional Certificate Course
9
Master Remote Work Leader Certificate Course
11
Participant Success Stories
13
Business Spotlight
16
Outcomes and Impacts
20
Future Plans
22
Appendix
14
Engagement
RemoteWorkCertificate.com
February 22, 2022
Dear partner,
I am pleased to report on the remarkable impacts achieved by Utah State University (USU) Extension’s Remote Online Initiative (ROI) program in 2021. Despite the exceptional challenges we have all experienced due to the global pandemic, our small team has persevered. As a program, we realized tremendous success in strengthening and diversifying Utah’s rural economy through connecting residents to remote work opportunities. In 2021, the impacts and achievements of the ROI program were captured through continuous program evaluation while documenting the individual success stories from our alumni. In this report, you will learn about the impact of our Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) certificate course which is on track to create over 400 job placements in rural counties by the end of 2022. Thus far, when adjusted for population sizes, 261 non-Wasatch Front (rural) jobs are similar to 17,335 jobs in urban Wasatch Front counties. Behind every statistic is a personal story of how remote work has improved the quality of life for individuals and families in rural Utah. In our research, we found that after completing our course, 86% of participants had a higher level of confidence in successfully finding remote work opportunities. In addition, we found that people across rural Utah are overwhelmingly open to the opportunity of remote work. They are innovative and eager to learn new skills that will allow them to prosper in a changing economy while choosing to raise their families in a rural community. Entering 2022, the ROI program remains undeterred in our dedication to providing specialized remote work training and career mentoring to people in rural communities across Utah. Our Master Remote Work Leader (MRWL) certificate course was designed to train Utah business leaders in developing remote work plans and managing remote employees according to research-based best
practices. Our objective through this course was to assist Utah businesses in growing the supply of remote jobs in the state and successfully obtain Go Utah’s Rural Economic Development Incentive (REDI) grant by hiring remote workers from rural counties. In 2021, we received $1.2 million in federal CARES Act funding from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to expand this leadership course in eight urban Utah counties to create 450 remote jobs over three years. In addition, the ROI program continues to be aligned with Governor Spencer J. Cox’s plans for leveraging remote work to streamline and modernize state government and addressing rural matters as outlined in his One Utah Roadmap. I invite you to review the metrics and stories outlined in the ROI program’s annual report. In your review, I hope you will gain a renewed appreciation for the tremendous character and capabilities of our rural residents. As our economy changes, we must not forget the heritage of our rural communities. We see a vibrant future for Utah’s rural communities, one where residents are not limited by geographic opportunity, but capable of obtaining well-paying remote jobs through reliable internet connectivity. The ROI program is proud to lead this innovative effort and is committed to improving the quality of life for rural residents by empowering them through remote work. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Paul Hill, Ph.D Extension Professor & Program Director Utah State University Extension Rural Online Initiative
2 Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021
Background Information D
uring the 2018 legislative session, House Bill 327: Rural Online Initiative was passed and signed into law by Governor Gary R. Herbert. Funding was appropriated to Utah State University Extension for program development and delivery across 15 targeted rural counties. Program delivery to rural residents formally began on October 1, 2018. Since then, the ROI program has expanded to serve 21 rural Utah counties. The ROI is an innovative and timely program that empowers rural communities by providing education, specialized training, and services for remote work opportunities as an employee, online freelancer, or online business owner. The program began with the Master Remote Work Professional (MRWP) certificate course from USU Extension and has expanded to include the Master Remote Work Leader (MRWL) certificate course. Residents can learn more about each course or sign up at remoteworkcertificate.com.
The MRWP certification is a one-month course that teaches participants the skills required to function successfully in a remote work environment. Participants learn everything from effective communication techniques for team collaboration to specific software tools commonly used in telework settings. The course also assists participants in their preparation to search and interview for legitimate remote jobs, bid on online freelance jobs, or start an ecommerce business. Scholarships for additional skills training are available at the end of the course to enhance participants’ professional skill sets. The MRWL certification is a one-month course that was piloted in February 2020. This course was designed for businesses located along the Wasatch Front. It provides training to organizational leaders on the best practices and core skills for effectively creating remote work environments in their organizations and leading hybrid-remote and fully distributed employees. Throughout the course, participants create remote work plans that could be transitioned into remote work policies within their organizations.
SINCE 2018, ROI EXPANDED TO PILOT OTHER COURSES
Ecommerce for Rural Businesses
Remote Job Search: Skills for Success
helps new and existing entrepreneurs create, market, and manage their online websites.
educates MRWP graduates and other jobseekers on the tools needed to successfully navigate the remote job search process.
4-H Remote Skills Camp: For College and Career Readiness educates high school students on remote work as a career readiness option.
Negotiation for Remote Work teaches employees how to evaluate their current job for compatibility with remote work and how to prepare for a successful negotiation with their supervisor for approving remote or hybrid work arrangements.
Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021 3
Awards AWARD
YEAR
Award for Innovation (Team) National Extension Technology Community (NETC) NATIONAL WINNER
2021
This award recognizes an individual or team demonstrating the innovative use of technology integrated into the delivery of educational programs or in the administrative systems that support educational programs.
Creative Excellence Award (Team) National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) REGIONAL WINNER (WEST) & NATIONAL WINNER
2021
This award recognizes an individual or team demonstrating creative excellence that is adopted by others, advancing the work of community development in innovative ways. For the purposes of this award, innovation is approaching emerging issues or addressing existing issues in exceptionally creative or novel ways that get results and that others want to emulate.
Distinguished Team Award Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP) REGIONAL WINNER (WEST) & STATE WINNER (UTAH)
2021
This award recognizes outstanding efforts of Extension staff teams (two or more individuals) for responding to and incorporating into a specific educational program one or more critical issues. Critical issues may be defined by local, regional, state, or national need.
Excellence in Workforce Development Programming Award (Team) National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals REGIONAL WINNER
2021
The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding efforts by members in workforce development and career exploration programming and to strengthen the commitment to workforce development programming curriculum.
Diversity Award (Team) Utah Association of Extension 4-H Workers (UAE4-HW) STATE WINNER This award recognizes a team or individual for successful efforts targeting an underserved audience, identifying an educational need, the activities conducted to address the need, and impact from programmatic efforts.
4 Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021
2021
AWARD
YEAR
Diversity Award (Team) Utah Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (UEAFCS) STATE WINNER
2021
This award recognizes a team or individual for successful efforts targeting an underserved audience, identifying an educational need, performing activities conducted to address the need, and reporting impacts from programmatic efforts.
Marketing/Public Relations Award (Team) Utah Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (UEAFCS) 2021
STATE WINNER This award recognizes a team or individual for successful efforts developing marketing materials and plans to bring greater visibility to USU Extension.
Outstanding Contributor Award (Individual) National Association of Extension Program & Staff Development Professionals (NAEPSDP) NATIONAL WINNER
2020
This award is the most prestigious award given by NAEPSDP. It recognizes individuals who initiate and develop creative ways to enrich the learning process. Efforts may focus on innovative programming or tools for staff development, evaluation, or administrative processes at local, regional, state, or national level.
Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021 5
AWARD
YEAR
Excellence in Extension (Individual) Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) REGION WINNER The annual National Award for Excellence in Extension is presented to individuals who have strived throughout their careers through their local, state, regional, or national responsibilities to achieve the benchmarks reflective of excellence in Extension educational programming. These include, but are not limited to, demonstration of high impact of programs; visionary leadership and anticipation of emerging issues for clientele and the system; commitment to diversity; and integration of programs in partnership with university colleagues and outside clientele.
2020
Award of Excellence in Extension Programming (Team) Western Extension Directors Association (WEDA) REGION WINNER
2020
The purpose of the WEDA Award of Excellence is to recognize Extension outreach education programming that has achieved outstanding accomplishments, results, and impacts in addressing contemporary issues in one or more of the 13 states and four territories whose institutions are WEDA members. Recipients of this award include mature programs with documented impacts.
Innovation and Creativity (Team) National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) NATIONAL WINNER This award recognizes a NACDEP member or group of members developing an outstanding effort or program that integrates innovation and creativity in community development program design or implementation that shows demonstrated effectiveness. For the purpose of this award, innovation is understood as a method or practice that creatively addresses a community or implementation issue in a novel manner that demonstrates improvement in program results.
2020
EXTERNAL FUNDING Hill, P. A. (2021). Remote Online Initiative. The Extension Foundation New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) Grant Program. Denver, CO. Value: $10,000
Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Bria, D., & Swadley, E. A. (2021). Remote Online Initiative. U.S. Economic Development Administration. Denver, CO. Value: $1,100,000
This funding supports the development of ROI’s Affiliate Program.
This funding supports program delivery of the ROI’s Master Remote Work Leader certificate course and the creation of remote jobs in eight urban Utah counties.
6 Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021
Master Remote Work Professional Certificate Course OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM GOALS AND RESULTS Total enrollment for the MRWP course 1,805 program participants October 2018–November 2021
= 10 people
The target counties in the ROI program’s service area were divided into three geographic regions, with a program coordinator assigned to each region. A key employment goal for the program was to generate three to four remote jobs per month in each of the three rural regions. With a cumulative goal of 284 jobs generated over the program’s three years, the program succeeded in meeting its employment expectations. Table 1 shows the total number of participants who found remote work since October 2018. Jobs are grouped by region. Since the program’s first cohort in October 2018, a total of 261 remote jobs were created in 21 rural Utah counties, with a county impact of 17,335. Additionally, 19 remote jobs were created in other urban counties, with four unlisted, resulting in a total of 284 remote jobs for all Utah counties. That is, out of 478 Utah jobseekers actively looking for remote work, a total of 284 Utah participants found remote work thus far.
Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021 7
Table 1 - Total Utah Job Placement for the MRWP Course by Region (October 2018 - November 2021) REGION Southeast (SE)** (Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, San Juan, Uintah) Southwest (SW)** (Iron, Kane, Garfield, Piute, Rich, Wasatch, Washington) Southcentral (SC)** (Beaver, Juab, Millard, Sanpete, Sevier, Wayne, Tooele) Urban counties (Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Utah, Summit, Weber) Unlisted counties Total County impact (SE, SW, SC regions only)*
TOTAL JOBS FOUND 114
73
74
19
4 284 17,335.50
*When adjusted for population sizes, 261 non-Wasatch Front** (rural) jobs are similar to 17,335 jobs in urban Wasatch Front counties. (Source: Utah Department of Workforce Services, 2020. Analysis based on the goal of reducing unemployment by 0.5%. Statistics based on the county labor force’s current rate of unemployment and extrapolated number of jobs required.)
8 Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021
Master Remote Work Leader Certificate Course OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM GOALS AND RESULTS Total enrollment for the MRWL course 154 program participants February 2020 - November 2021
The Rural Workforce Network is a partnership between the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah Department of Workforce Services, Economic Development Corporation of Utah, Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and Utah State University Extension. The intended audience for the MRWL course included organizational leaders with businesses located along the Wasatch Front region. This is the target group because this area has the highest job growth and lowest unemployment numbers. Given these circumstances, helping businesses connect to remote work talent in these areas would help increase job opportunities for rural Utah residents. Target goals for the MRWL course included recruiting at least 15 businesses per cohort and ensuring 80% of participants created remote work plans (passed the course). Recruitment goals were near achievement with a total of 154 participants enrolled in all 11 cohorts; 87% passed the course.
“I was impressed with the individual work of this course as well as the online sessions. It wasn’t just a little bit of busy work and showing up to the sessions. I thought it was quite challenging, which I think was actually a really good thing for me. The course instructors provided a variety of resources and examples from how other businesses have adopted remote work that I have used in my organization.” - LIZ RIVERA, MRWL COURSE GRADUATE
Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021 9
“I love the resources that were provided in the course. We learned all about how other businesses and agencies were managing their remote work operations successfully. I learned about so many ideas I could borrow and incorporate into my current remote work efforts. I wouldn’t have known where to go to find these resources without this course. I also learned so much from people from other agencies and corporations who were also adopting remote work too. The virtual classroom setting was good for me and I thought the overall course was well organized.” - CARRIE MARTINEZ, MRWL COURSE GRADUATE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT GRANT 2020
The ROI program was granted funding by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) in June 2020. With a three-phase implementation plan, the purpose of the grant is to support educational remote work training for communities affected by COVID-19. As such, part of the MRWL course focused on aiding business leaders located in eight urban counties outside the ROI’s purview. These eight urban counties are Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Summit, Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, and Weber. These counties were targeted as they benefit from growing businesses that could create remote work environments to help offset future job availability, promote environmental sustainability, and support communities affected by COVID-19. This grant recently completed Phase I (hiring two new program coordinators to coach and train business leaders on developing and implementing remote work plans) and Phase II, designed to develop a strategic plan for identifying, marketing, and recruiting businesses in the target areas. The strategic plan also includes program delivery, further outlined in Phase III. Phase III develops the evaluation plan for tracking outcomes and impact, and focuses on course implementation with business leaders in the target counties. Phase III began in January 2022.
OUTCOMES AND IMPACT METRICS 450 remote job positions created over the three-year duration of the grant This is broken down into 150 remote jobs per fiscal year.
Number of participants who intend to create remote work environments
10 Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021
Number of participants who intend to create new remote work positions
Number of participants who intend to convert existing jobs to remote work positions
Participant Success Stories Sanpete County alum finds remote job with Hallows & Co. “I took the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course with the intent to convert my current job to remote. That didn’t work out as the company I worked for was sold. Because of the foundation that I had from taking the class I was confident that I would be able to find a remote job. And I am excited to report that I am now a remote worker! I have been hired as a 100% remote worker with Hallows and Company. After 24 years of going into an office everyday, I now get to work from my home office. As a graduate of the Master Remote Work Professional certificate course, I would encourage anyone who is looking for this type of work to take the course. For me, this course was a life saver. As part of the course, I was exposed to and worked with the platforms, tools and programs necessary to be part of the remote workforce. Everyday I use something from my class that helps me. Even though I thought I had a handle on Zoom, I have found a few quirks when you remote in. I can already see that I will have to implement the work life balance strategies we learned. At the time, I have to admit that I didn’t feel like this would be a problem, but in real life it is easy to blur the line. Thank you to everyone involved on every level of this program. I have been able to be successful because of you.” - JULIE ANDERSON, SANPETE COUNTY
Washington County alum hired as full-time, remote Medicare advisor “I was recently hired to work full-time as a [Medicare] advisor after taking the Master Remote Work Professional course from USU Extension. This position is fully remote. While my background is in IT, this is a great job for getting back into the workforce after a long period of unemployment.”
Kane County resident finds remote job as accountant with LedgerGurus “Living in a rural community, jobs in your field of study can be few and far between, or unavailable all together. After graduating from SUU with a Bachelors of Accounting, it was important to me to find a career I could grow in and continue living where I wanted. Remote work seemed to be the most fitting option, but I wasn’t sure where to begin. After graduation, my advisor told me about the Rural Online Initiative program and encouraged me to complete the [Master Remote Work Professional Certificate] program as a means to open some doors to remote work. It opened my eyes to the world of remote work and how to be successful at it. I learned A LOT from the course and have been able to utilize the skills I learned in my current position. I am actually hoping to have some time in the near future to continue in the ROI program and take the [Master Remote Work Leader] course. I feel like it could benefit me as I move up in my career. Finding remote work wasn’t easy. I had applied for the job I currently hold more than a year ago, but it didn’t work out. I was persistent and applied again. This time, it worked! Remote work is a perfect fit for me and my lifestyle. I feel honored to work for LedgerGurus, they are an amazing company. My advice to those who are looking for remote work is, don’t give up! If you find a company you really want to work for, be consistent, persistent, and stay positive. You will find the right job for you if you stick with it.” - EMILEE FERRIN, KANE COUNTY
- CHAD ROBERTS, WASHINGTON COUNTY
Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021 11
Sanpete County resident finds remote job in banking after a career running semi-trucks “I went through the USU Extension remote work training program almost 2 1/2-3 years ago. I did this course because I had been running semi-truck for the past 7-10 years. I had broken my fibula and was laid up. I thought about how nice it would be to work from home like some of the people. Never in a million years did I think that I could be the one doing it! I was not computer savvy whatsoever. I lost my job and decided “why not do this course?” I successfully completed the ROI course and landed a remote job in customer service. I did not think I could ever land a remote job, but I stayed at that company for nearly two years. I am now working remotely for an online bank where I make more money with better benefits than I have ever had. I am truly grateful for the ROI program. I actually interviewed this next week for a new position within the bank which will take me on a whole new career path. When I say I can do it, really anyone can do it.” - CLAYTON MEYER, SANPETE COUNTY
Entrepreneur in Duchesne County starts award-winning online business “During my senior year of high school, I decided to take the Rural Online Initiative course where I learned very valuable tools, such as communication, teamwork, and time management. I also discovered software I was unaware of that I know will help me with my higher education and careers in the future, such as Trello, Slack, and Zoom. After taking the ROI course, I was inspired to begin an internship with a website design and marketing company where I helped to develop logos, websites, and social media management plans, and started my own award-winning business, Brava Stylized Portraits. All of which is done remotely, and I will forever be grateful for the knowledge, guidance, and tools I gained from taking the ROI course. I truly believe it sets a concrete foundation for my future successes.” - BRYNN LARSEN, DUCHESNE COUNTY
12 Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021
Iron County alum finds remote job with Intermountain Healthcare “I completed the Master Remote Work Professional course in April of 2020 just as the pandemic was heating up. Before taking the course, I searched tirelessly to find a way I could work from home. Eventually, I came across a remote job listing with Intermountain Healthcare and applied. I got the job and owe a great deal of credit to the USU Extension remote work course. It helped me understand how important it is to set up my workspace at home for success and productivity, as well as the importance of constant communication with my team members. There are so many remote jobs available, I highly recommend taking the remote work course from the ROI program to learn how you can learn to become a remote worker.” - HANAH SMITH, IRON COUNTY
Emery County resident secures full-time remote job with HealthEquity “Thanks to the ROI program, I am set to start training with a new job opportunity that I am very excited about. I will be able to do customer service online and feel like this will be a great fit for me. This program’s positive reference to my new employer, as well as their connecting me with the job opportunity to apply for, has already changed my life!” - ADAM BRINKWORTH, EMERY COUNTY
Business Spotlight ZONOS Based in St. George, Utah, Zonos is the global technology leader for cross-border commerce. The company’s SaaS solution gives ecommerce merchants, logistics providers, trade organizations, and online marketplaces the tools and services to simplify their international landed cost process. For more information, please visit http://www.zonos.com. In 2021, Zonos received a $69 million minority investment from Silversmith Capital Partners, a Boston-based growth equity firm, with additional participation from several individual Utah investors. These investments fueled Zonos’ growth in key business areas, including product development, go-to-market, and worldwide team expansion. The company profitably tripled its team to over 100 employees in early 2020, of which 20% were remote positions. The company is also on track to continue hiring remote workers at an accelerated pace as it grows its footprint in the burgeoning technology hub in Southern Utah.
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Engagement T
he ROI team focuses on marketing and information dissemination efforts to encourage participation in the MRWP and MRWL courses. Aggregate engagement efforts are presented in Tables 2-3.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Table 2 shows marketing statistics for both certificate courses. These included newsletter distributions, job training, and social media posts. Table 2 - Marketing Statistics for the MRWP and MRWL Certificate Courses TYPE OF EVENT / TOOL
TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT
TOTAL ENGAGEMENT
Media stories/articles
Monthly
70, with national articles
Newsletter
Weekly distribution
5,235 weekly subscribers
Podcast episodes
Monthly
45 episodes; 4,038 downloads
Social media
Daily
1,464 subscribers; 5 social media platforms
Specialized training job spotlights
Monthly
295 participants
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Training opportunities across all ROI courses are presented in Table 3. It includes aggregate enrollments and offerings for all courses. Table 3 - ROI Courses and Trainings TYPE OF TRAINING
NUMBER OF TIMES OFFERED
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS ENROLLED
Master Remote Work Professional certification
34 course cohorts
1,805
Master Remote Work Leader certification
11 course cohorts (including pilot)
154
Amazon ecommerce Entrepreneurship workshops
2
55
Remote Job Search course
Ongoing
47
One-on-one career coaching meetings
Individual sessions (as needed)
Over 600
Skill scholarships
Individual basis (as required)
209
14 Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021
OTHER ENGAGEMENT Scholarly engagement includes peer-reviewed articles published in academic journals. ROI team members often present topics related to remote work and program evaluation at national and international academic Extension conferences (see Appendix for full list of publications). Professional reports authored by ROI team members are also included in the Appendix. Table 4 gives an overview of the types of engagement. Table 4 - Other Scholarly and Professional Engagement TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT Research publications
NUMBER 9
JOURNAL/ CONFERENCE/ REPORT Journal of Extension Journal of Human Sciences and Extension International Journal of Human Resource Management
National and international conference presentations
12
Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE) National Association of Extension Program and Staff Development Professionals Conference (NAEPSDP) Epsilon Sigma Phi National Conference (ESP) National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Annual Meeting (NACDEP) Association of International Agricultural and Extension Education Annual Conference (AIAEE) United Nations 68th Civil Society Conference
Professional reports
2
Strategic Plan of Excellence Contributions to Hanover Research
Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021 15
Outcomes and Impacts MASTER REMOTE WORK PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE COURSE Participant Outcomes Since October 2018, there were 1,805 participants enrolled in the MRWP certificate course with 1,611 successfully completing the course. An evaluation of short- and medium-term outcomes captured changes in participants’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations toward seeking remote employment. The results follow.
K N OW L E DGE
Knowledge tests were administered to participants before and after the course. Results showed statistically significant differences between pre- and posttests for all eight modules.
AT T I T U D E S
On average, participants felt neutral toward their current jobs.
S K I LLS
AS P I R ATIONS
On average, participants had high overall scores across all skills assessed. After the course, participants felt they had better abilities to:
After completing the course:
51% Participants desired higher incomes between $35,000 to $74,999.
Test results indicated significant increases in participants’ knowledge after completing the MRWP certificate course.
This result suggests an opportunity for improving job satisfaction through meaningful remote employment. Overall, participants felt seeking remote work opportunities was beneficial, advantageous, and favorable.
Balance their professional and personal lives.
Felt their value as a remote worker improved.
Manage their professional and personal productivity. Solve problems.
98% Felt empowered to seek remote work.
Communicate digitally. Use online technology.
82% Had intentions to seek remote work opportunities.
Manage their careers. Work as a team member.
62% 92%
of participants did not have remote work experience.
53%
of participants believed job opportunities were available in their local region that matched their long-term goals.
indicated it was important or very important to them to acquire remote work skills.
16 Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021
98%
When asked about which ideal employment situations were most important,
82% said flexible hours.
77%
76%
said good said personal manager growth. relationship.
Economic Impact A short survey was sent to all 370 graduates of the MRWP’s September 2020 to June 2021 cohorts (N = 370). With a response rate of 25%, a total of 93 participants completed the survey (n = 93).
VA LU E ADDE D
$50
for the course
Participants who live outside the rural Utah counties in the ROI service area paid roughly $50 to take the course.
59% More than half of the respondents (59%) indicated that the course was worth, on average, 68% more than what they paid.
This result indicates that participants who paid for enrollment thought the personal benefit of completing the course was worth more than the registration cost.
REMOT E J OBS
28% of participants from the sample found remote work.
Of those who did not find remote work, 95% said they were were satisfied with their remote work job position.
86%
However, most (86%) of those who did not find remote work said they were confident in their ability to do so.
I NCOM E G E NE RATE D
88% Overall, a participant who found remote work experienced an increase in median salary of 88%.
Total salaries across all participants who found remote work increased by 70%.
ANTI C I PATE D I NCOM E
Participants took, on average, two months to find a remote job. Roughly 56% of those who found remote work believed their median salaries would likely increase by 24% over the next year. This amount equates to an increase of $720. This suggests that the state government, cities, and counties could expect an anticipated increase in tax revenue from remote workers in the next fiscal year.
COMMUTE
82%
About 82% of participants drove to a physical workplace before finding remote work. 41%
Since starting remote work, 41% drove to a physical workplace, which resulted in a 55% reduction in total miles driven per month (equivalent to a reduction of 2,460 miles) across all participants who found remote work.
$368 This equates to personal savings of $368 per month across all participants who found remote work due to lower fuel expenses.
This further resulted in a total reduction of 0.83 metric tons of carbon emissions per month. Reduced traffic congestion helps promote clean air quality as remote workers drive fewer miles.
Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021 17
MASTER REMOTE WORK LEADER CERTIFICATE COURSE Participant Outcomes Since the MRWL course is offered every other month, participant outcomes are reflective of 11 cohorts from April 2020 - November 2021. Overall, a total of 154 participants enrolled in the MRWL certificate course with 135 successfully completing the course. An evaluation of short- and medium-term outcomes captured changes in participants’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations toward creating remote work environments in their organizations. The results follow.
K N OW L E DGE
AT T I T UD ES
S K I LLS
AS P I RATIONS
Knowledge tests were administered to participants before and after the course. Results showed statistically significant differences between pre- and posttests for all seven modules:
All participants felt the creation of a remote work environment was important to their organization.
On average, participants had high overall mean scores across all skills assessed: remote work culture, communication, performance management, change management, vision, learning and development, and conflict management.
Before completing the course:
Change Management Communication Conflict Management Culture Learning and Development Performance Management Vision
Participants were asked about their level of agreement creating a remote work environment with respect to the attributes of an innovation (Rogers, 2003). On average, participants had favorable overall mean scores for all the attributes: Relative Advantage Compatibility Complexity Observability
These results indicate that after completing the MRWL course, participants perceived they had much better abilities to: Influence a remote work culture within their organization. Communicate with remote employees. Manage remote employees’ performance.
Trialability
This indicates significant increases in participants’ knowledge after completing the MRWL certificate course.
These results indicate that participants perceived remote work practices as better than their current practices; consistent with their existing values and experiences; neither complex nor easy to implement; highly visible as other businesses engage in remote work; and could be implemented on a trial basis.
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Manage change. Lead with a vision within remote work environments. Inspire learning and development within a remote work environment. Manage conflict within a remote work environment.
87% thought creating a remote work environment in their organization was beneficial for a sustained competitive advantage.
After completing the course: Almost all participants (99%) felt their value as a remote work leader improved. 94% felt empowered to hire remote workers.
Percentage of participants that said they were likely to create remote work job positions in their organizations.
Percentage of participants that said they would likely hire qualified remote workers from rural Utah.
Percentage of participants that thought remote work was important to the future of talent acquisition.
75%
89%
50%
61%
97%
98%
Before course completion
Upon course completion
Before course completion
Upon course completion
Before course completion
Upon course completion
“The readings from the course provided a foundation for becoming a great supervisor and increased my confidence in managing a remote team. The assignments helped me understand how to better deliver for the people that I serve. New ways of thinking presented in the class opened possibilities for managing my team through the pandemic in a way that put people before process.” - MYKEL BEORCHIA, MRWL COURSE GRADUATE
Impact A follow-up survey was sent to past participants of the April 2020 - July 2021 cohorts (N = 92) who did not respond to previous surveys. With a 55% response rate, a total of 51 participants completed the survey (n = 51). New remote work positions:
25%
71%
of participants created 25 of hiring companies new remote work positions were located in Utah in their organizations. All with most hires (67%) participants (100%) who residing in-state. hired remote workers were satisfied with this decision.
Anticipated job creation:
24%
41%
of participants had intentions to convert about 51 existing onsite job positions to remote.
of participants had intentions to create 77 future remote work positions in their department.
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Future Plans The ROI program significantly expanded since its inception, offering new and revised courses to meet evolving training needs in Utah. The ROI program will provide training and strategic support for statewide efforts to increase remote work opportunities and move jobs to rural Utah. Future plans include the following. • Support Governor Spencer J. Cox’s plans for leveraging remote work to streamline and modernize state government and address rural matters as outlined in his One Utah Roadmap. Details regarding how the State of Utah will leverage remote work to streamline and modernize state government include: • As state employees are foundational to the success of state government, Utah is investing in new and existing infrastructure to support a modern workforce and remote work, especially in rural areas of the state. • To address rural matters, economic growth, and diversification, Utah is providing more growth options for rural Utah by evaluating and identifying funding increases and expansion opportunities in rural investment programs that support remote work and entrepreneurialism. This includes USU Extension’s Remote Online Initiative. • To implement a state government structure that maximizes operational efficiencies and public services, Utah is re-examining government operations in the context of widespread remote work. In addition, the state is also embracing remote work and other practices to decrease environmental impact, increase productivity, and create job opportunities for Utahns across the state.
• Contribute actively to the Rural Workforce Network. • The Rural Workforce Network is a partnership between the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah Department of Workforce Services, Economic Development Corporation of Utah, Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah), and USU Extension. • Many businesses along the Wasatch Front are struggling to find the personnel required to thrive, and yet many rural areas are struggling for employment opportunities. Through a geographical shift, and perhaps a shift in mindset, the workforce demands of the Wasatch Front and the employment needs of rural Utah can connect to ease the concerns of both regions. The Rural Workforce Network’s goal is to fulfill this need.
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• Host Utah’s first remote work summit (May 4, 2022). • The Remote Teams Summit is a unique in-person gathering for leaders of remote teams. Attendees will learn from experts about topics like: • Building excellence into your distributed team. • Motivating remote team members with best techniques. • Managing and communicating with the latest tools, both synchronous and asynchronous. • The irony of having an in-person conference for people who work remotely is not lost on us. Getting together in person to connect with others in similar situations can be eye-opening and liberating. We want attendees to know they are part of an entire community of remote team leaders across the state of Utah.
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Appendix Journal Articles Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Goodrich, R. O., & Swadley, E. A. (Add year written here). Selected technology for an online Extension course. Utah State University Extension. Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Narine, L. K., & Spielmaker, D. (in press). A descriptive analysis of remote work adoption in the United States. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension. Hill, P. A, Narine, L. K., Ali, A. D., & Spielmaker, D. (Add year written here). Factors affecting remote work adoption in the United States. Utah State University Extension. Hill, P. A, Ali, A. D., Narine, L. K., Schmutz, A., Riskas, T., & Spielmaker, D. (Add year written here). Evaluating Utah’s Rural Online Initiative: Empowering organizational leaders through remote work. Utah State University Extension. Schmutz, A. T., Campbell, A., Bean, A., Ali, A. D., Hill, P. A., & Swadley, E. A. (Add year written here). Preparing rural youth for the future of work: Responding to migration trends through remote work education. Utah State University Extension. Ali, A. D., Hill, P. A., & Bria, D. C. (2021). Communicating program outcomes and impact using data visualization dashboards. Outcomes and Impact Quarterly, 1(4). https://doi.org/10.26077/8163-0c3c Ali, A. D., & Hill, P. A. (2021). The Rural Online Initiative: Short-term outcomes of Utah State University Extension Master Remote Work Leader course. Outcomes and Impact Quarterly, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.26077/8062-3fa8 Ali, A. D., & Hill, P. A. (2021). The Rural Online Initiative: Remote work and COVID-19. Outcomes and Impact Quarterly, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.26077/0402-9122 Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Narine, L. K., Spielmaker, D. M., & Schmutz, A. T. (2020). Evaluating Utah’s Rural Online Initiative: Empowering rural communities through remote work. Journal of Extension, 58(5). https://joe.org/joe/2020october/rb4.php
Conference Presentations Hill, P. A, Ali, A. D., Bria, D. C., & Narine, L. K. (2021, November 30 – December 2). Remote Work Adoption in Extension [Roundtable discussion]. National Association of Extension Program and Staff Development Professionals Conference and Annual Meeting. (Virtual conference). https://naepsdp.wildapricot.org/2021Conference Hill, P. A, & Ali, A. D. (2021, May 14–19). Short-term outcomes from USU Extension’s legislatively funded remote work leadership course [Paper presentation]. National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals 17th Annual Meeting, United States. (Virtual conference). https://www.nacdep.net/2021-nacdep-conference Ali, A. D., Narine, L. K., & Hill, P. A., (2021, April 12–14). Developing and piloting an index to assess program fidelity in Extension [Paper presentation]. Association of International Agricultural and Extension Education 37th Annual Meeting, Thessaloniki, Greece. (Virtual conference). https://aiaee.wordpress.com/2021conference/ Ali, A. D., & Hill, P. A. (2020, December 1–3). Formative evaluation of a remote work program for Utah organizational leaders [Paper presentation]. National Association of Extension Program and Staff Development Professionals Conference and Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States. (Virtual conference). https://naepsdp.org/event-3976959 Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Narine, L. K., Goodrich, R., & Swadley, E. (2020, October 6–8). Utah’s Rural Online Initiative: Training urban business leaders to hire remote workers from rural counties [Paper presentation]. Epsilon Sigma Phi National Conference, Rochester, NY, United States. (Virtual conference). https://espnational.org/2020-ESP-National-Conference Ali, A. D., Hill, P. A., Swadley, E., & Narine, L. K. (2020, June 1–2). Rethinking communication in Extension: A hybrid model for engaging with rural audiences [Conference workshop]. National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals 16th Annual Meeting, Portsmouth, NH, United States. (Virtual conference). https://www.nacdep.net/2020nacdep-conference
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Ali, A. D., Hill, P. A., & Narine, L. K. (2020, April 20–23). Fine-tuning the evaluation protocols for an innovative educational program in rural communities [Paper presentation]. Association of International Agricultural and Extension Education 36th Annual Meeting, St. Petersburg, FL, United States. (Conference canceled). Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., & Narine, L. K. (2019, December 3–5). Assessing perceived competency improvements of participants in the Rural Online Initiative of Utah [Paper presentation]. National Association of Extension Program and Staff Development Professionals Conference and Annual Meeting, Savannah, GA, United States. Goodrich, R., & Willson, T. (2019, October 8–10). Upskilling rural America - Connecting rural communities with remote work [Paper presentation]. National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE) Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, United States. Hill, P. A., Goodrich, R., Swadley, E., & Ali, A. D. (2019, August 26–28). Utah’s Rural Online Initiative: Connecting rural communities with remote work [Paper presentation]. United Nations 68th Civil Society Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, UT, United States. Goodrich, R., & Swadley, E. (2019, June 9–12). Utah’s Rural Online Initiative: Connecting rural communities to remote work. National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Annual Conference, Asheville, NC, United States. Hill, P. A. Goodrich, R., & Swadley, E. (2019, February 5–7). Utah’s Rural Online Initiative: Connecting rural communities with remote work. Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX, United States.
Professional Reports Hill, P. A. & Goodrich, R. (2020). Rural Online Initiative: Strategic plan for excellence. Utah State University Extension. https://usu. app.box.com/s/8p0zidkef2s4hzb4jnpgvwsxwxxg2d97 Hanover Research. (2020). Demographic and labor market analysis: Rural counties in Utah. Utah State University Extension. https:// usu.box.com/s/s2pqfbbg460bnbi3i4xaoqf5ni167ddd
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