National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP)

When the NNSP detected promising workforce development outcomes from organizations involved in sector intervention strategies, they turned to LGI to develop communications for the emerging field and its promotion to practitioners, employers, and state, local and federal policy makers.

Beginning with framing and language research, LGI discovered a common language that today is the basis for the emerging field of industry-specific workforce development. LGI was responsible for designing and conducting the framing, language, and messaging research instrumental in re-branding the field from "sector employment intervention" to "industry-specific training." This qualitative research was specifically designed to determine the framing and language nexus of three distinct audiences: practitioners, employers, and policy makers at the federal and state levels to differentiate these new programs from previous workforce development efforts.

The research has now been applied to several communications products including a briefing sheet for policy makers, informational materials for the NNSP, a customized communications training session for organizations working in the field with employers, an audio conference for journalists, organizational press-kits, trade articles and media relations activities. The new language from the "re-branding" campaign is now becoming more widely used by practitioners, foundations, and other leading nonprofit organizations in the field.

Other workforce development related LGI success stories include Ford Foundation Corporate Involvement Initiative, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program, The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce- Center for Workforce Preparation, and many others.