Remote Online Initiative Annual Program Report 2021 - 2022

Dear partner,

I am pleased to report on the remarkable impacts achieved by USU Extension’s Remote Online Initiative (ROI) program in 2022. As an educational program, we are committed to strengthening and diversifying Utah’s rural economies through remote work training. As our small team of 15 incredible people continues to grow, we are proud to report a successful year of meeting key performance indicators.

As is our standard, the impacts and achievements of the ROI program were captured through continuous program evaluation. In this report, you will learn about our remote work certification courses and their impacts, personal success stories from alumni, and upcoming projects for 2023. Current flagship certification courses under the ROI program are as follows:

● Certified Remote Work Professional© (CRWP)

● Certified Remote Work Leader© (CRWL)

○ Part of this course falls under the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA’s) Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Grant, which focuses on educational remote work training for communities affected by COVID-19.

● Certified Tech Sales Professional© (CTSP)

○ Beginning in January 2023, this is a new partnership with MarketStar funded through the Talent Ready Utah program.

Sincerely,

Entering 2023, the ROI team remains dedicated to providing remote work training and career mentoring to people in rural communities across Utah. From past research, we are confident that rural Utahns are overwhelmingly open to the opportunity of remote work and are eager to learn new skills in a changing work environment. This is evident in the stories they tell about how a remote job improved their quality of life. As our program continues to grow, we look forward to new opportunities, partnerships, and successes.

I invite you to review the impacts 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. 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 specialized training. The ROI program is proud to continue 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.

Paul Hill, Ph.D Extension Professor & Program Director Utah State University Extension Remote Online Initiative

About the Remote Online Initiative

During 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. Official training to rural residents began on October 1, 2018. Since then, the ROI program has expanded to serve 21 rural Utah counties.

The Remote Online Initiative (ROI) covers several training programs that empower rural communities and businesses to take advantage of remote work opportunities. The initiative began with the Certified Remote Work Professional (CRWP) course and later expanded to include the Certified Remote Work Leader (CRWL) course. Over the 4-year period, the ROI piloted four courses related to remote work and recently partnered with MarketStar to offer a career pathway course.

About ROI’s flagship courses:

● Certified Remote Work Professional (CRWP): a 1-month course that teaches participants the skills required to find a remote job and 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.

● Certified Remote Work Leader (CRWL): a 1-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.

● Certified Tech Sales Professional (CTSP): a new collaboration with Utah System of Higher Education, Talent Ready Utah, and MarketStar. The CTSP is designed for Utah graduates of the CRWP. These graduates are eligible for an opportunity to become certified tech sales professionals via a 1-month, 45-hour, specialized training course. CRWP graduates will benefit from a streamlined career path that starts with professional training and ends with a guaranteed job interview with MarketStar. The first cohort began January 2023.

SINCE 2018, ROI EXPANDED TO PILOT OTHER COURSES

Ecommerce for Rural

Businesses helps new and existing entrepreneurs create, market, and manage their online websites.

Entrepreneurship helps participants navigate new remote business ventures.

Remote Job Search: Skills for Success 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.

Academic Awards

Hermes Creative Award, Platinum Winner (Team)

International Competition for Creative Professionals

STATE WINNER

This award honors the messengers and creators of the information revolution. Armed with their imaginations and computers, Hermes winners bring their ideas to life through traditional and digital platforms. Each year, competition judges evaluate the creative industry’s best publications, branding collateral, websites, videos, and advertising, marketing, and communication programs.

Award for Innovation (Team)

National Extension Technology Community (NETC)

NATIONAL WINNER

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

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)

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

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.

2022

2021

2021

2021

2021

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 and the activities conducted to address the need, and impact from programmatic efforts.

Diversity Award (Team)

Utah Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (UEAFCS)

STATE WINNER

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)

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

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 the local, regional, state, or national level.

2021

2021

2021

2020

Excellence in Extension (Individual)

Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP)

REGIONAL 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.

Award of Excellence in Extension Programming (Team)

Western Extension Directors Association (WEDA)

REGIONAL WINNER

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.

EXTERNAL FUNDING

Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Narine, L. K. & Bria, D. C. (2022). Certified Tech Sales Professional Program. Utah System of Higher Education. Salt Lake City, UT. Value: $520,000

This funding supports remote employment opportunities in rural Utah in partnership with MarketStar.

Hill, P. A. (2021). Remote Online Initiative. The Extension Foundation New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) Grant Program. Denver, CO.

Value: $10,000

This funding supports the development of ROI’s Affiliate Program.

2020

2020

2020

Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Bria, D.C., & Swadley, E. A. (2021). Remote Online Initiative. U.S. Economic Development Administration. Denver, CO. Value: $1,100,000

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.

Certified Remote Work Professional© (CRWP) Course

The target counties in the ROI program’s service area are divided into three rural geographic regions, with a program coordinator assigned to each region. The division of rural regions and coordinators are as follows:

● Southeast (Carbon, Daggett, Duschesne, Emery, Grand, San Juan, Uintah) - Jordan Leonard.

● Southwest (Iron, Kane, Garfield, Piute, Rich, Wasatch, Wasington) - Jake Marino.

● Southcentral (Beaver, Juab, Millard, Sanpete, Sevier, Wayne, Tooele - Trenton Willson.

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM GOALS AND RESULTS

Key performance indicators for 2022 were as follows:

● Secure three to four Utah job placements per month from each region.

● Report a total of 123 Utah job placements for 2022.

● Cumulatively report 400 Utah job placements over the life of the program (4 years). With a cumulative total of 396 Utah job placements reported at the end of 2022, the program was near meeting its lifetime goal. The program has set a new annual goal of 159 job placements by the end of 2023, which will result in a cumulative total of 555 Utah job placements over the life of the program.

Table 1 shows a breakdown of the total number of Utah graduates who found remote work since the program started in October 2018. Jobs are grouped by regions. Since October 2018:

● A total of 366 remote jobs were created in 21 rural Utah counties, with a county impact of 21,918 jobs compared to urban Utah counties.

● Additionally, 30 remote jobs were created in urban counties, resulting in a total of 396 remote jobs for all Utah counties.

○ That is, out of 582 Utah jobseekers actively looking for remote work, a total of 396 Utah participants found remote work; a 68% job placement rate.

Table 1 - Total Utah Job Placements for the CRWP Course by Region (October 2018 - October 2022)

*When adjusted for population sizes, 366 non-Wasatch Front** (rural) jobs are similar to 21,918 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.)

Table 2 presents a breakdown of the number of jobs in each rural county needed to reduce the unemployment rate by 0.5%. It shows ROI’s anticipated reduction in unemployment with remote job placements in rural counties given unemployment figures. The goal of reducing the unemployment rate by 0.5% was met for Daggett, Emery, Garfield, and Piute counties.

Table 2 - Anticipated ROI Contribution to Reduced Unemployment in Rural Utah Counties

0.5%

*Unemployment values were internally obtained from the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah). Unemployment numbers represent the most recent data for 2020; available April 2021.

Table 3 - Pre and Post Tests Knowledge-gain for CRWP Participants (October 2018 - October 2022)

Certified Remote Work Leader© (CRWL) Course

The target areas for this course are businesses located along the Wasatch Front region, or companies approved for the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity’s Rural Economic Development Incentive (REDI) program. This area has high employment opportunities. As such, helping these businesses connect to remote work talent would help increase remote job opportunities for rural Utah residents.

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM GOALS AND RESULTS

Leading, lagging, and key performance indicators for 2022 were as follows:

● Recruit at least 15 businesses per cohort (90 participants).

● Ensure 80% of participants successfully created remote work plans (pass rate).

● Report a total of 600 new remote job hires and/or job conversions from onsite to remote.

Recruitment goals were near achievement with a total of

65 participants enrolled in all 6 cohorts over 2022

> 600 new remote job hires/ conversions pass rate

87%

Economic Development Administration (EDA) CARES Act Grant

The ROI program was granted $1.2 million in funding by the 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 CRWL course extended toward aiding business leaders located in eight urban counties outside the ROI’s purview. These eight urban counties include Davis, Morgan, Salt Lake, Summit, Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, and Weber.

The key performance indicator is:

● 450 remote job positions created over the 3-year duration of the grant. This is broken down into 150 remote jobs per fiscal year.

Results

The requirements for this grant were met as of 2022. Intermountain Healthcare, Priority Dispatch, and Complete Recovery all implemented fully remote or hybrid positions in their companies after completing the CRWL course. Intermountain Healthcare created/converted roughly 2,000 jobs, Priority Dispatch reported 200 jobs, and Complete Recovery, 150. See some of their stories on page 19.

Partnership Spotlight

CERTIFIED TECH SALES PROFESSIONAL © (CTSP) COURSE IN COLLABORATION WITH MARKETSTAR

Background

Through outsourced customer engagement solutions, MarketStar accelerates growth from lead to recurring revenue with businessto-business (B2B) sales and customer success programs. Utilizing a blend of voice, digital, and field engagements, MarketStar has launched, sold, and supported thousands of products and services on behalf of the biggest and most innovative companies across the globe. Founded in Utah in 1988, MarketStar pioneered the sales outsourcing industry and today has more than 1,750 employees worldwide. To learn more, visit marketstar.com.

In 2022, USU Extension received a $500,000 Utah Works grant to fund a two-year program to train rural Utah residents as technology sales professionals who can work remotely for MarketStar. The Utah Works Grant is awarded through Talent Ready Utah, housed within the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education. Talent Ready Utah works closely with industry and education to develop workforce development solutions to build Utah’s talent pool by providing increased access to career and educational opportunities in high-growth industry sectors that result in career placements.

“The Utah Legislature graciously provided appropriations to Utah Works—a program that increases partnerships between businesses and the Utah System of Higher Education to provide short-term technical skills training to fill high-demand positions,” said Vic Hockett, director of Talent Ready Utah. “MarketStar is a visionary organization that is growing at a rapid rate. We are excited for the lives that will be changed through this expert-designed training offered by USU Extension to directly fill tech occupations.”

This grant will fund a new 45-hour Certified Technology Sales Professional training program, offered free of charge through USU Extension, that will prepare rural residents across the state to work as remote sales representatives for MarketStar, headquartered in Ogden. The grant guarantees an interview with MarketStar after completing the training course. MarketStar will hire for an estimated 1,500 positions in 2022 across all tech sales, tech enablement, and support roles.

“We are excited to partner with USU Extension to develop the new Certified Technology Sales Professional certification,” said Justin Nalder, Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations for MarketStar. “There are more than 750,000 new inside sales jobs created in the U.S. each year, and Utah technology companies will need talented and trained sales professionals as our technology sector continues to grow and thrive. The new certificate program will connect talented people from Utah’s rural communities to high-demand sales skill training, and then to some of the most interesting and contemporary brands in technology. We are truly excited to participate in developing the program, and to meet the first cohort of certified graduates in 2023.”

“These are well-paying positions with upward mobility that allow employees to work from home,” said Dr. Paul Hill, USU Extension professor. “We know from our research that remote jobs bring higher incomes and a greater quality of life for individuals and families in our rural communities, which in turn stimulates economic growth and diversity.” Training will begin in January 2023 with a goal of 200 program participants over the two-year project. “I am thrilled for this partnership with MarketStar and the opportunities it will create for economic diversity and financial mobility in our rural Utah communities,” said Ken White, USU Extension vice president.

To learn more about the Certified Tech Sales Professional course, please visit remoteworkcertificate.com/sales.

Outcomes and Impacts

CERTIFIED REMOTE WORK PROFESSIONAL COURSE Participant Outcomes

Since October 2018, there were 2,178 participants enrolled in the CRWP course with 1,938 successfully completing the course (89% pass rate). An evaluation of short- and medium-term outcomes from October 2018 - October 2022 captured changes in participants’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations toward seeking remote employment. The results are as follows:

KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDES SKILLS ASPIRATIONS

Knowledge tests were administered to participants before and after the course. Results showed statistically significant differences between pre- and post-tests for all nine modules.

On average, participants felt neutral toward their current jobs.

On average, participants had high overall scores across all skills assessed. After the course, participants felt they had better abilities to:

Balance their professional and personal lives.

Desired higher incomes. This suggests an opportunity for improving job satisfaction through meaningful remote employment.

Test results indicated significant increases in participants’ knowledge after completing the CRWP certificate course.

Felt seeking remote work opportunities was favorable and beneficial.

Believed adequate wages were available in their local region.

did not have remote work experience. indicated it was important or very important to them to acquire remote work skills. believed job opportunities were available in their local region that matched their long-term goals.

After completing the course:

Felt their value as a remote worker improved.

Manage their professional and personal productivity. Communicate digitally. Manage their careers.

Solve problems. Use online technology.

Felt empowered to seek remote work.

Work as a team member.

Had intentions to seek remote work opportunities.

When asked about which ideal employment situations were most important,

said flexible hours. said personal growth.

said good manager relationship.

Economic Impact

A short survey was sent to all 347 graduates of the CRWP’s August 2021 to June 2022 cohorts (N = 347). With a 29% response rate, a total of 101 participants completed the survey (n = 101). Below are the long-term results for perceived costbenefit, remote work, anticipated income, and commutes and carbon emissions.

VALUE ADDED REMOTE JOBS COMMUTE INCOME GENERATED

65%

Paid to take the course.

35% of respondents from the sample found remote work, taking on average, six months to do so.

65% did not find remote work.

63%

64%

Thought the course was worth more than what they paid. This suggests those who paid thought the personal benefits of completing the course outweighed the registration cost.

However, 63% of those who did not find remote work said they were confident in their ability to do so.

Overall, a participant who found remote work experienced an increase in median salary of 113%

Total salaries across all participants who found remote work increased by 73%

ANTICIPATED INCOME

Roughly 69% of those who found remote work believed their median salaries would likely increase by 20% over the next year. This amount equates to an increase of $512. 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.

113% $81

About 74% of participants drove to a physical workplace before finding remote work.

Since starting remote work, 28% drove to a physical workplace, which resulted in a 46% reduction in total miles driven per month across all participants who found remote work.

This equates to personal savings of $81 per month across all participants who found remote work due to lower fuel expenses.

This further resulted in a total reduction of 0.18 metric tons of carbon emissions per month. Reduced traffic congestion helps promote clean air quality as remote workers drive fewer miles.

CERTIFIED REMOTE WORK LEADER COURSE

Participant Outcomes

The CRWL course is offered every other month. With over 17 cohorts since February 2020, there were 220 course enrollments with 191 successful completions (89% pass rate). An evaluation of short- and medium-term outcomes from April 2020 - September 2022 captured changes in participants’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations toward creating remote work environments in their organizations. The results are as follows:

KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDES SKILLS ASPIRATIONS

Knowledge tests were administered to participants before and after the course. Results showed statistically significant differences between pre- and posttests for all seven modules:

Change Management

Communication

Conflict Management

Culture

Learning and Development

Performance Management

Vision

All participants felt the creation of a remote work environment was important to their organization.

Participants were asked about their level of agreement creating a remote work environment with respect to viewing remote work as an innovation.

On average, participants had favorable overall mean scores for all the attributes:

Relative Advantage

Compatibility

Complexity

Observability

Trialability

On average, participants had high overall mean scores across all skills assessed.

These results indicate that after completing the CRWL 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.

Manage change.

98%

Felt their value as a remote work leader improved.

This indicates significant increases in participants’ knowledge after completing the CRWL 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.

Lead with a vision within remote work environments.

Inspire learning and development within a remote work environment.

Manage conflict within a remote work environment.

90%

Felt empowered to hire remote workers.

Table 4 - Pre and Post Tests Knowledge-gain for CRWL Participants (April 2020 - September 2022)

Impacts

A short follow-up survey was sent to all CRWL graduates (February 2020 - September 2022 cohorts (N = 165).

24% response rate

40 participants completed the survey (n = 40)

Percentage of participants who said they would likely hire qualified remote workers from Utah.

55%

of respondents said their department created a remote work environment after completing the course and hired, on average, 19 remote workers.

Upon course completion

50%

of respondents said their department had a remote work environment that enabled hiring remote workers prior to course enrollment.

75%

of respondents indicated that more than half of their employees currently work remotely.

Percentage of participants who said they were likely to create remote work job positions in their organizations.

76% Before course completion

83%

Upon course completion

100%

of respondents indicated that to the best of their knowledge, their departments planned to maintain a remote work environment.

55% of respondents said their department currently hires remote workers from rural Utah.

Participant Success Stories

FEATURED CERTIFIED REMOTE WORK PROFESSIONAL © SUCCESS STORIES

Carbon County Graduate Secures Remote Job with Rocky Mountain Power

“I got a job with Rocky Mountain Power a couple weeks ago!! I was able to show my certificate of completion at the interview and I am sure that helped me get the job. I am making almost double what I was making at my old job!!! Taking the Remote Work Course was one of the best decisions I’ve made!! Thank you Utah State University and the Remote Work Initiative!!!”

Garfield County Graduate Lands Full-time Remote Sales Manager Position

After completing the Certified Remote Work Professional course, Suzanne began her search for the perfect remote job. She previously ran her own small business in a very rural town in southern Utah and now she wanted a remote job that gave her flexibility in her schedule. She found a job as a sales manager for a land investment company that allows her to work full-time and be fully remote. “The job role encompasses all of my strengths: customer service, negotiations, research, and being able to work on commission at hours that work for me! I love it!”

-

Beaver County Graduate Secures Remote Job with Lowry & Associates

Katie Pollard from Beaver County enrolled in the Certified Remote Work Professional course in October 2018. She was successful in getting a remote job as she writes: “I also got the job with Lowry and Associates. It is a work-from-home insurance auditor position and I start January 3rd (2023). I’m excited to begin. There are a couple of people in Beaver who work for Lowry and Associates and they love the work. To be successful at a work-from-home position, I must utilize the skills I acquired from the Rural Online Initiative Program…such as structure, self-discipline, organization, scheduling, motivation, communication, working effectively in a team, and growing my professional reach.

- KATIE POLLARD, BEAVER COUNTY, OCTOBER 2018 COHORT

- LESLIE JOHNSON; CARBON COUNTY, FEBRUARY 2022 COHORT

SUZANNE CATLETT, GARFIELD COUNTY, MAY 2019 COHORT

CERTIFIED REMOTE WORK LEADER © SUCCESS STORIES

LedgerGurus

Chanté Lembke has been working at LedgerGurus as the HR generalist for the last 5 years. LedgerGurus is a 100% remote client accounting services firm that has a great partnership with ROI. Chanté took the leader class to get a better understanding of the program and to connect with graduates of the ROI’s remote worker class. Her hope is to provide remote jobs opportunities in the future. Chanté has loved working remotely as it allows her to stay home to raise her four fantastic young kids.

- CHANTÉ LEMBKE, HR GENERALIST

Women’s Business Center of Utah

“Since I took the class, our team has increased to six full-time and part-time remote workers. It has become clear that communication between managers and remote team members is critical. I’ve noticed that others in the organization have struggled with communication and would benefit from taking the Certified Remote Work Leader course or the Certified Remote Work Professional course. As a manager you have to clearly define expectations so team members know what they need to be doing. When you’re working with your remote team members, if you talk and open up and share things, and help them feel comfortable and create that relationship, then they will talk about whatever it is that is bothering them before it comes to a head. I would like to send more people in our organization to your courses.”

- DEBBIE DRAKE, PROGRAM DIRECTOR

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION (EDA) CARES ACT GRANT SUCCESS STORIES

Priority Dispatch

“With all the changes in the business landscape, moving to a hybrid-remote work model was essential to keeping our employees happy and healthy at PriorityDispatch. After taking the Certified Remote Work Leader Course, our company moved nearly 200 employees to a hybrid-remote work schedule. The insights gained in the course provided our leadership team with the foundation we needed to build from as we moved to a more distributed work environment. It was a valuable experience for our business, and we plan to hire more hybrid workers”.

- DONALD “CHIP” HLAVACK, DIRECTOR OF CLIENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Complete Recovery

Upon participating in the leader course, Chuck was able to develop and implement CompleteRecovery’s remote work plan. As such, he was able to convert 150 jobs to hybrid or full remote. Chuck said, “Offering remote work as an option has yielded a multitude of benefits which we hope to continue to enjoy as our business grows.” CompleteRecovery also attends ROI’s quarterly virtual job fair in search of talented remote workers.

- CHUCK KRIVANEK, PRIMARY PEOPLE PERSON

Marketing & Engagement

Our ongoing marketing and engagement efforts encourage participation in all our courses. Aggregate engagement efforts are presented in Tables 5-6.

OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT

Table 5 shows marketing statistics for both the professional and leader certificate courses. These statistics include newsletter distributions, media stories, and social media posts.

Table 5 - Marketing Statistics for the CRWP and CRWL Courses

REMOTE WORK TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Training opportunities across all ROI courses are presented in Table 6. It includes aggregate enrollments and offerings for all courses at the end of 2022.

Table 6 - ROI Courses and Enrollments at Year’s End 2022

SCHOLARLY WORKS & PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT

Scholarly engagement includes peer-reviewed articles published in academic journals. ROI 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 7 gives an overview of these types of engagement to date.

Table 7 - Scholarly and Professional Engagement

Research publications

7 Journal of Extension

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

National and international conference presentations

21 Utah Association of Counties (UAC)

Association of Washington Business Policy Extension Foundation

Western Rural Development Center (WRDC)

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

3 The Conference Board Committee for Economic Development

Strategic Plan of Excellence

Contributions to Hanover Research

Future Plans

The ROI program has significantly expanded since its inception, offering new and revised courses to meet evolving training needs in rural 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:

• Supporting Governor Spencer J. Cox’s One Utah Roadmap: Plans for leveraging remote work to modernize state government and address rural matters. The following are details of how Utah will leverage remote work to streamline and modernize state government:

• 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 Rural 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.

• Contributing 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, 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.

• Hosting 2nd Utah remote work summit (September 15, 2023)

• The Remote Teams Summit is a unique in-person gathering for leaders of remote teams. Attendees will learn from experts about topics like:

○ How to build excellence into your distributed team.

○ Best techniques for motivating remote team members.

○ The latest tools for management and communication, both synchronous and asynchronous.

• We want attendees to know they are part of an entire community of remote team leaders across the state of Utah.

• Training and placing 200 tech sales professionals in remote jobs with MarketStar

• Train and place 200 tech sales professionals in remote jobs with MarketStar

• Through the new Certified Tech Sales Professional (CTSP) course funded by the Utah System of Higher Education, the ROI program will recruit, train, and mentor rural Utah residents for careers in tech sales. Those who complete the 1-month, 45-hour, specialized training course will be guaranteed a job interview with MarketStar.

• Supporting the growth of rural

small business through e-commerce

• With e-commerce training created specifically for rural small business, including agricultural producers and processors, the ROI program will be an important resource in developing new markets and growing small businesses that keep more dollars in Utah communities. ROI will empower producers to effectively use online platforms to sell their products and services, reach new customers, and thrive in the digital economy. The program will offer courses, workshops, webinars, and oneon-one consulting to help small businesses, which in turn, will help drive economic development and vitality in communities across the state.

Journal Articles

Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Narine, L. K., & Spielmaker, D. M. (2022). A Descriptive Analysis of Remote Work Adoption in the United States. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 10(3). https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/jhse/vol10/iss3/4/

Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., Narine, L. K., Schmutz, A. T., Riskas, T. M., & Spielmaker, D. M. (2022). Evaluating Utah’s Rural Online Initiative: Empowering Organizational Leaders Through Remote Work. The Journal of Extension, 60(3), Article 12. https://doi. org/10.34068/joe.60.03.12

Schmutz, A. T., Campbell, A., Bean, A., Ali, A. D., Hill, P., & Swadley, E. (2022). Preparing Rural Youth for the Future of Work through Remote Work Education. Outcomes and Impact Quarterly, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.26077/594f-ed1a

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. (2022, November). The State of Remote Work and Impact of the Remote Online Initiative Program in Utah. Utah Association of Counties (UAC) Annual Convention. St. George, UT.

Ali, A. D. & Hill, P. A. (2022, November). Evaluating Medium-and Long-term Outcomes of a Remote Work Extension Program. National Association of Extension Program and Staff Development Professionals (NAEPSDP) Conference. Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Hill, P. A. (2022, September). Opportunities for a growing Washington: Remote Workforce, employer policies. Association of Washington Business Policy Summit. Spokane, WA.

Hill, P. A., Bria, D. C., & Bean, A. (2022, August). Empowering Rural Communities through Remote Work: An Introduction to Utah’s Remote Online Initiative Program. Extension Foundation. Online.

Hill, P. A., Mottishaw, J., Weedon, D., & Borski, H. (2022, May). How the 3rd largest employer in Utah adopted remote work: A panel discussion on the common issues facing leaders of remote employees. Remote Teams Summit. Provo, UT.

Hill, P. A. (2022, March). Introduction to USU Extension’s Rural Online Initiative. Western Rural Development Center (WRDC) Webinar Series. Online.

Hill, P. A., Ali, A. D., & Narine, L. K. (2022, June). Remote Work Adoption by U.S. Organizations and Implications for Extension. National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Annual Conference. Indianapolis, IN.

Ali, A. D., Hill, P. A., Bria, D. C., & Narine, L. K. (2022, June). Reporting Program Outcomes and Impact with Data Visualization Dashboards. National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) Annual Conference. Indianapolis, IN.

Ali, A. D., Hill, P. A., Bria, D. C., & Narine, L. K. (2022, April 4–7). The Use of Data Visualization Dashboards to Communicate Program Outcomes and Impact. [Poster submitted]. Association of International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE) 38th Annual Meeting. Thessaloniki, Greece.

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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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

The Conference Board (2022). Preparing rural Americans for the post pandemic economy: Lessons from Utah. The Committee for Economic Development (CED) is the public policy center of The Conference Board. https://www.ced.org/reports/ preparing-rural-americans-for-the-postpandemic-economy-lessons-from-utah

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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