Ramping Up Rural Workforce Development: An Extension-Centered Model

Workforce development is a growing need in rural communities. This article recognizes Cooperative Extension as a critical labor market intermediary in fostering local workforce solutions. It proposes a community-based approach with Extension at the center of a process for identifying key stakeholders, facilitating collaboration, and supporting data-driven decisions. Through participatory methods and economic analysis of local industries, our team engaged over 120 stakeholders from two rural regions in the Great Plains. Our findings show that Extension plays an important role in promoting cross-sectoral collaboration to address complex workforce issues, enhance community capacity, and mobilize local action

Health Care Reform: Perceptions of Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans, 2013 Nebraska Rural Poll Results

Most rural Nebraskans currently have health insurance. Only nine percent of rural Nebraskans do not have health insurance while the majority of residents have health insurance through job benefits. These responses are nearly identical to 2004 when this question was last asked. Persons living in the North Central region, persons with lower household incomes, persons who have never married, persons with lower education levels and persons with food service or personal care occupations are the groups most likely to be uninsured. Most rural Nebraskans expect to have health insurance next year. Only two percent of residents do not plan on having health insurance next year. Many of the persons who currently do not have health insurance aren’t sure if they will have coverage next year. Most rural Nebraskans do not understand the new health care reform law. And, most rural Nebraskans think the country as a whole and self-employed individuals will be worse off under the new health care reform law. Just over one-third of rural Nebraskans think people currently without health insurance will be better off under the new law. But, many rural Nebraskans are unsure how the various groups will be affected by the new law. Persons living in or near smaller communities are more likely than persons living in or near large communities to say they and their family will be worse off under the new health care reform law. Most rural Nebraskans think the new health care reform law will not be successful at decreasing health care costs overall. And, many rural Nebraskans think it will not be successful at increasing the quality of health care. However, over one-third of rural Nebraskans think the new law will be somewhat successful at increasing access to health insurance coverage. Many rural Nebraskans are unsure if the new law will be successful at accomplishing the various items. Most rural Nebraskans anticipate getting information regarding the new health care reform law from the media. Many rural Nebraskans expect to get information about the new law from their employer, their doctor, the Internet, their insurance agent and friends or relatives

Successful Communities: What is Desired and What is Present in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska, 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results

Rural Nebraskans are looking for many things in a community. The characteristics of a community that most believe are absolutely essential include social dimensions (sense of personal safety), economic dimensions (jobs/economic opportunities), some basic services (a quality school system, available medical services, affordable housing, quality housing and well maintained infrastructure) and environmental dimensions (a clean and attractive natural environment). Unfortunately, when asked if these characteristics are present in their current community, some of these areas are lacking. One of the more extreme cases involves jobs/economic opportunities. Seventy-seven percent of the respondents say these are absolutely essential in order for them to have a high quality of life. However, only 11 percent say these exist in their community to a great extent. Examining these opinions by age can highlight areas communities can highlight to attract new residents of specific age ranges. It can also point out areas that communities can work to improve in order to better attract and retain these same groups. Areas that could be marketed to young people include: jobs/economic opportunities, lack of congestion, sense of personal safety, affordable housing, available child care services, recreational opportunities, a quality school system, and available college classes. These are all areas of increased importance to younger residents as compared to older residents. However, many of these areas have large gaps between what is preferred and what is currently present in the community. Improvement in these areas can not only help attract younger persons to the community, but can help retain this population as well. Areas that can be marketed to attract older persons include: available medical services, strong church/religious community, available senior citizen programs, effective community leadership, a sense of community among residents, friendly people, a clean and attractive natural environment, acceptance of newcomers, and a well-maintained infrastructure

Optimism in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Perceptions of Well-Being

Nebraska farm income decreased nearly 35 percent from 2014 to 2013. This resulted in Nebraska being the only state in the country to experience a drop in per capita personal income last year. However, hourly earnings in manufacturing have increased in 2015 compared to last year. Given the challenges and uncertainties of recent years, how do rural Nebraskans believe they are doing and how do they view their future? How satisfied are they with various items that influence their well-being? Have these views changed over the past twenty years? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,991 responses to the 2015 Nebraska Rural Poll, the twentieth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their wellbeing. Trends for some of the questions are examined by comparing data from the nineteen previous polls to this year’s results. In addition, comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc. Based on these analyses, some key findings emerged

Earning a Living in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results

Most rural Nebraskan households have full-time employment and many employed households derive part of their household income from self-employment. Self-employment is more prevalent in smaller communities. Most rural Nebraskans living in or near the smallest communities have self-employment in their household. Some rural Nebraska households also have multiple job holding by members of the household. Again, this is more likely to occur in the smallest communities. Most self-employed rural Nebraskan households get less than one-half of their total household income from self-employment. However, over one-quarter (29%) of self-employed rural Nebraskans get almost all of their household income from self-employment. Many self-employed rural Nebraskan households are content with self-employment and would not accept a job with an employer. Some employed rural Nebraskan households (18%) have an individual in their household who telecommutes for at least one of their jobs. And, 28 percent of employed rural Nebraskan households say someone has settled for a job they are overqualified for because nothing better is available. Younger persons, persons with lower household incomes and persons with food service or personal care occupations are the groups most likely to say someone in their household is overqualified for their job. Some of the top motivations for employment for rural Nebraskans include: income for basic needs, being able to do work I enjoy, to secure health insurance, income to enjoy extras, and I enjoy meeting the challenges of work and being successful

Perspectives on Community Life in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska

Population losses are an ongoing problem in rural counties. This loss leads to many issues faced by rural communities such as funding public services, business transition and retention, recruiting new residents, an aging population base as well as many others. Given these challenges, how do rural Nebraskans feel about their community? Are they satisfied with the services provided by their community? Are they planning to move from their community in the next year? Have these views changed over the past twenty years? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,991 responses to the 2015 Nebraska Rural Poll, the twentieth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their community. Trends for some of the questions are examined by comparing data from the nineteen previous polls to this year’s results. In addition, comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc. Based on these analyses, some key findings emerged

Engagement in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Civic and Political Participation and Views of Community Leadership

Trends have consistently shown that the population in nonmetropolitan counties is decreasing as a proportion of the total population of the state. These trends have the potential to significantly impact two areas of rural community sustainability, effective community leadership and community involvement. Rural communities rely on volunteers for many community development activities as well as local leadership positions. In smaller communities in particular, reduced populations requires community members to take on multiple roles. Rural Nebraskans are aware of the importance of good community leadership when faced with such issues. Most rural Nebraskans rated effective community leadership as absolutely essential for successful communities in last year’s Rural Poll. However, if the current trends continue, rural citizens will not only have less representation in both state and national government, but could also have to rely more heavily on fewer citizens’ involvement in community and political activities in order to address some of the issues they are facing. Given these trends and challenges, how involved are rural Nebraskans in community and political activities? Are they currently registered to vote and how frequently do they vote? How do they feel about the leadership in their community? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,991 responses to the 2015 Nebraska Rural Poll, the twentieth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their community involvement and community leadership. Comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc. Based on these analyses, some key findings emerged

Broadband and Mobile Internet Services in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska

A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that home broadband adoption has plateaued in the United States. In addition, there has been an increase in adults who use a smartphone to access the Internet but do not have traditional broadband service in their home. Given these national trends, how do rural Nebraskans access the Internet? Are they accessing the Internet from their cell phones? Are they subscribing to high-speed Internet services at home? How satisfied are they with their Internet services? How important do they feel Internet access is for various items? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,746 responses to the 2016 Nebraska Rural Poll, the 21st annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about Internet services. Comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc

Perceptions of Crime and Safety in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: 2014 Nebraska Rural Poll Results

Most rural Nebraskans are not worried or not very worried about either crime in their community or about personally being a victim of crime. However, persons living in or near larger communities are more likely than persons living in or near smaller communities to be worried or very worried about crime. Furthermore, most persons living in or near communities with populations less than 10,000 are not worried or not very worried about crime in their community. Trust also remains high in the rural areas. Most rural Nebraskans say they count on their neighbors to watch their property while they are away. This is especially true in smaller communities. Although many rural Nebraskans view various crimes as a problem in their community, they are less likely to believe many of these crimes are a problem today than they did in 2003. People living in or near the larger communities and Panhandle residents are the most likely to believe crime is a problem in their community. Most rural Nebraskans believe the crime situation in their community has remained about the same during the past few years. Very few feel it has changed for the better and just over one-quarter believe it has changed for the worse. And, few rural Nebraskans have experienced various crimes during the past six months. Persons living in or near the larger communities are more likely than persons living in or near smaller communities to believe the crime situation in their community has changed for the worse in the past few years. The majority of rural Nebraskans have not made changes in their behavior as a result of their concern about crime. The most common responses made during the last five years because of their concern about crime include leaving residence lights on at night, improving their home security, having a gun for protection, having a dog for protection and limiting the times and places they will go by themselves

Engagement in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Civic and Political Participation and Views of Community Leadership

Trends have consistently shown that the population in nonmetropolitan counties is decreasing as a proportion of the total population of the state. These trends have the potential to significantly impact two areas of rural community sustainability, effective community leadership and community involvement. Rural communities rely on volunteers for many community development activities as well as local leadership positions. In smaller communities in particular, reduced populations requires community members to take on multiple roles. Rural Nebraskans are aware of the importance of good community leadership when faced with such issues. Most rural Nebraskans rated effective community leadership as absolutely essential for successful communities in last year’s Rural Poll. However, if the current trends continue, rural citizens will not only have less representation in both state and national government, but could also have to rely more heavily on fewer citizens’ involvement in community and political activities in order to address some of the issues they are facing. Given these trends and challenges, how involved are rural Nebraskans in community and political activities? Are they currently registered to vote and how frequently do they vote? How do they feel about the leadership in their community? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions. This report details 1,991 responses to the 2015 Nebraska Rural Poll, the twentieth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions about their community involvement and community leadership. Comparisons are made among different respondent subgroups, that is, comparisons by age, occupation, region, etc. Based on these analyses, some key findings emerged