Publication date: April 2024
Executive Summary
This report documents the joint efforts of the Northside Job Creation Team (NJCT), the University of Minnesota’s Workforce Development and Research Lab (WDRL), and the Urban Research and OutreachEngagement Center (UROC). This community-engaged study was guided by the following research question: What internal factors contribute to the sustainability of the NJCT?
Our research team performed an internal review to investigate the sustainability of the NJCT, a collaborative that aims to create jobs for North Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our methods included testimonial interviews, a review of NJCT documents, and observations of NJCT over the entire year of 2023. Our other efforts expanded to finding similar job creation initiatives in comparable Black neighborhoods across the United States.
We utilized these findings through the process of case study analysis. To deepen our understanding and triangulate our research, we also conducted a literature review that concentrated on community development studies that offered sustainability theories and frameworks.
After considering all of the above, we found four main focus areas that directly influence the sustainability of the NJCT. We categorized these foci into themes: leadership, structure and process, communication, and impact. We discussed the significance of each theme and its implications for the sustainability of NJCT. This is summarized in a strategy map presented at the conclusion of the report, along with a series of recommendations.
This study was funded by the University of Minnesota’s Research and Innovation Office.
Research Team
Stephanie Sisco, Ph.D. Assistant Professor
Principal Investigator
Dr. Sisco’s areas of expertise include diversity management, critical human resource development, and social/participatory learning strategies. Dr. Sisco explores these topics through qualitative research methods to identify and understand how social issues influence the learning, development, and advancement of Black employees and job seekers. Her work is published in several journals, including Advances in Developing Human Resources; Consulting Psychology; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal; and many others. Additionally, Dr. Sisco teaches courses for the University of Minnesota’s programs in Business & Marketing Education, Adult Education, and Human Resource Development. Prior to becoming a professor, she had a career in human resources and earned a B.A. in Communication and History from the University of California-Davis, an M.S.Ed. in Adult and Higher Education from Northern Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development at the University of Minnesota.
Xun Yu
Graduate Research Assistant
Xun Yu is a Ph.D. student in Comparative and International Development Education in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development within the College of Education and Human Development. As a grassroots social justice activist in China and the US, Xun has immersed herself in community-engaged research and strives to practice asset-based approaches to the study of community development. Rather than focusing on deficits and problems within communities, Xun believes in identifying and leveraging the strengths, skills, and resources that already exist.
Dane Verret
Graduate Research Assistant
Dane Verret is a Ph.D. student in Human Resources Development in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development within the College of Education and Human Development. He is a scholar-practitioner whose research interests are informed by his heritage and more than 18 years of participation in grassroots social justice movements and community organizing. He brings a cultural, critical, and liberatory lens to his scholarship and professional practice. His goal as a researcher is to produce knowledge that enhances the quality of living and cooperation by people facing rampant and historic injustices and disparities.