Employment service providers in rural and remote locations have lived with the inequities of workforce development funding for many years. Service providers gathered to discuss their challenges during the ASPECT annual conference in November 2021. They found their colleagues shared many of the same issues. No longer were they the “lone voice in the wilderness,” as one participant described. While there are undoubtedly challenges in delivering employment services in urban communities, the level of conversation and concern about the challenges in rural and remote communities warranted further study of this topic.

ASPECT's Refocusing the Urban Lens for Rural and Remote Employment Services report is a cumulation of a 6-month long community-based research project. Hearing from employment service providers in rural, remote, and Indigenous areas, advisory committee members share their challenges and solutions for policymakers and funders.

Read the full report