Searching the State for Answers

(Spring 2017) Working Partners®, as part of its Drug-Free Workforce Community Initiative (DFWCI), has launched a state-wide survey to support the Initiative’s goal of increasing Ohio’s employable, drug-free workforce.

Local Chambers of Commerce and stakeholder groups around the state are taking the lead to solicit the opinions and business practices of thousands of business and community leaders.  Results of the survey will be coupled with secondary data to better understand the “We can’t find workers who can pass a drug test?” cry that has been coming from the business community for several years.

Jo Sexton, president of the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce and participant in the Initiative stated, “This data, workplace-specific data, just doesn’t exist.  We’ve looked!  Cambridge Area has wanted this information to help our workforce flourish as well as provide resources for those who need them.  We’re excited to see what information is garnered from the surveys and to develop a plan specific for our community.”

Outcomes of the Business Survey will provide state- and county-specific information regarding

• Prevalence of job seekers and employees testing positive
• Perceived quality and quantity of the community’s available workforce
• Perceived prevalence and impact of substance abuse on the workplace/workforce
• The extent that components of a drug-free workplace program are being administered (e.g., policy, testing, education/ training, assistance)
• Attitudes and practices of “second chances” for job seekers and employees who test positive
• Knowledge of community substance abuse resources
• Attitudes about substance abuse prevention and treatment

Employers and community leaders are being asked to complete the brief survey on an online survey platform.  While responses are categorized by county, no individual respondent or business information is collected.  Key representatives (e.g., upper management, safety and H.R. representatives) from every size business and industry within each of the 17 counties participating in the DFWCI will be invited to complete the survey.

Each county was supplied with a minimum sample size target, which was calculated using the Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB,) as compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.  The survey project is expecting to gather the opinions of 6,000 respondents across the 17 counties.

Oversight to the DFWCI survey project is being provided by Dr. Yvonne Olivares (statistician, research analyst and evaluation), founder of Services for Data Driven Solutions (S4DDS, LLC), a minority female-owned consulting firm providing custom research, evaluation and data services.

Katie Lemke, DFWCI coordinator said, “This data will give us a more realistic picture of what’s going on within each community in relation to their current alcohol and other drug-related issues, resources and readiness. From there, we can make inroads at the community and systems levels.”

(Check out last quarter’s article New Initiative to Grow Ohio’s Employable Drug-Free Workforce for Initiative details)