Listen

One of the primary goals of workforce development and education is to connect people with jobs and careers. On top of this is a greater goal to ensure people find work that meets their financial and personal needs. This starts with a safe work environment that provides a living wage and also encompasses opportunities for growth and connection.

In the past few years, there have been several helpful frameworks to define what a “quality job” looks like to job seekers. Instead of aiming to create a universal definition – a one-size-fits-all job description – current quality job frameworks have identified a range of job characteristics that contribute to a positive work experience. Simply put, a quality job is defined by how well it addresses each individual’s needs. Every person will have a distinct perspective on what makes work meaningful. We knew we needed to continue this approach of identifying different job ingredients that people could mix and match to define what a quality job looks like to them.

To create a Calbright-specific quality jobs framework, we needed to be rooted in students’ real life experiences – across different backgrounds, ages, and career paths. What are the job ingredients that they are looking for and prioritizing?

In January 2025, we launched a Good Jobs survey that asked students what they valued most in a job, what job search challenges they faced, and what support could help them on their career journey. Responses to the survey helped our team identify needs, wants, gaps, and goals students have in common.
The survey also invited students to opt in to being contacted for further engagements – and the majority of them (~85%) expressed interest. This enabled us to create a candidate pool of 82 students for further discovery and validation.

From this candidate pool, we conducted follow-up conversations with 14 respondents to dig deeper into student experiences from different personal and professional backgrounds. Including the validation activities, described below, we were able to engage ~41% of our candidate pool to make sure the framework we were developing closely represented their goals and needs, in their words. We were delighted to see so much engagement and thoughtfulness throughout this process.

Learn

Our first goal was to learn about Calbright students themselves. What is important to them and what might be helpful for us to know about their unique contexts? Early on, we observed some common themes among students; that Calbright students, in particular, are:

• Looking for more stability in a job or transitioning to find a job that’s more in demand
• Looking for a job with flexibility that helps them balance caregiving responsibilities for a loved one
• Re-entering the workforce after a break or after being laid off; finding the job market is much more competitive than before, so they’ve been unable to get a job
• Transferring their skills into new contexts, such as immigrants who are looking to gain local experience and certifications to do the same line of work they did in their former country

To understand common definitions of “job quality” and make sure the work aligns with best practices, our team reviewed job quality frameworks from organizations like the Aspen Institute, the U.S. Department of Commerce, Jobs for the Future, and the Urban Institute.

We pulled out key job elements from these frameworks and mapped student responses onto those elements. Seeing student voices layered on top, we were able to identify what students prioritized most and what further nuance could be provided.

Their priorities fell into four categories:

1. Purpose & Contribution. Being a part of something meaningful – where ideas are encouraged, prior experience is an asset, and working with others provides real value.
2. Workplace Flexibility. Having the flexibility and support to choose the most productive times or environment to complete tasks while balancing personal goals and priorities.
3. Growth. Continuing to learn and explore new roles; supported by constructive feedback, mentorship, and practical opportunities to build skills.
4. Stability & Security. Getting compensated fairly for work hours and efforts, while also feeling safe, trusted and supported in a workplace where everyone’s voices and identities matter.

One of the primary areas that we adapted – and more deeply emphasized – was Purpose & Contribution. Many students shared that they wanted recognition for their contributions, collaboration in teams, and opportunities for creative problem-solving. These are some of the areas that the Urban Institute framed as “Job Design” or what Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory describes as “motivators”.

The majority of elements in existing frameworks could be seen as “hygiene factors” – job characteristics that don’t drive motivation, but can create dissatisfaction if not present. By inviting students to share what kind of job they wanted in the future, it led us to create a framework that layered in more of the “motivators” that bring people joy, pride, and fulfillment in their work.

Make

Based on our findings, we developed a tailor-made Quality Jobs Framework that adapted and further defined quality job characteristics from the perspective of students.

We also developed Student Perspectives to accompany the framework. Like personas, these ‘archetypes of experience’ offer a starting place to explore the different needs and priorities of students, based on various professional and personal backgrounds. In each perspective, we highlighted a shortlist of job elements that the archetype may prioritize.

To validate this framework, we shared a follow-up survey with our candidate pool and invited them to react to the core job quality elements, review a sample student perspective that aligned with their current experience, and share what resonated or didn’t fit.

We also invited a couple of students to do an in-depth review of the framework, ensuring that it was clear and accessible as a whole.

Lastly, we shared the framework with Calbright staff members from different teams and services. In our focus groups with them, we identified potential use cases for the framework to catalyze its implementation.

Potential Applications:

• Help students to identify and articulate their priorities along their career journey and through different life stages
• Guide dialogue with industry partners to build and deepen relationships that align with student priorities and durable skills gained
• Support student-defined success outcomes by going beyond traditional education and labor market measures
• Serve as the theoretical underpinning of the economic mobility measurement design at the College

We’re excited to see the ways in which Calbright College finds use for this framework and continues to make it their own.