thesis statement for child labour

Child Labor Essay: Thesis, Examples, & Writing Guide [2024]

Children have always been apprentices and servants all over human history. However, the Industrial Revolution increased the use of child labor in the world. It became a global problem that is relevant even today when such employment is illegal.

The principal causes of child labor are as follows:

• Poverty, as kids have to work to support their families.
• Lack of access to education or its low quality.
• Culture, as some countries encourage kids to earn their pocket money.
• The growth of a low-paying informal economy.

The information you will find in this article can help you write a good child labor essay without any problems. Our professional writers gathered facts and tips that can help you with a paper on this topic. Nail your essay writing about child labor: thesis statement, introduction, and conclusion.

• 📜 How to Write
• ❓ Brief History
• ⚖️ Laws Today

🔗 References

📜 child labor argument essay: how to write & example.

Let’s start with tips on writing a child labor essay. Its structure depends on the type of your assignment : argumentative, persuasive, for and against child labor essay.

There’s nothing new in the essay structure: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. However, you should pay close attention to your thesis statement about child labor as the subject is quite delicate.

Below you’ll find the essential information on what to write in your assignment:

• The introduction may present the general meaning of the term “child labor.” In this part of your child labor essay, you may say that child labor means the work of children that aims at exploiting and harming them.
• The thesis statement should reveal your position on the issue. It’s the central idea of the paper. It may sound like “Not every kind of child labor is supposed to be exploitive.” Think about the phrasing of your child labor thesis statement.
• What are the reasons for the issue today? In this part of your essay, you have to present why child labor is widely-spread nowadays. Are there some positive factors for it?
• What jobs can be done by children? Give a list of possible careers, and present short descriptions of the duties children have to fulfill. Explain your job choice.
• How can we reduce child labor? Elaborate on why taking care of our young generation is crucial. What would you offer to reduce child labor?
• The conclusion of child labor essays should summarize everything that was said in the body. It should present the final idea that you have come up with while conducting your research. Make a point by approving or disapproving your thesis statement about child labor. Don’t repeat the central idea, but rather restate it and develop. If you’re not sure about what to write, you can use a summary machine to help you out.

We hope that now you have some ideas on what to write about. Nevertheless, if you still need some help with writing , you can check the child labor essay example:

For more facts to use in your essay, see the following sections.

❓ Brief History of Child Labor

The involvement of child labor became increasingly popular during the Industrial revolution . The factories ensured the growth in the overall standard of living, a sharp drop in the mortality rate in cities, including children. It caused unprecedented population growth. And with the help of machines, even physically weak people could work.

Operating power-driven machines did not require high qualification, but the child’s small height often was a better option. They could be installed quite closely to save the factory space. Some children worked in coal mines, where adults couldn’t fit.

Thus, child labor has become an indispensable and integral part of the economy.

Even special children’s professions were formed. For example, there were scavengers and scribes in the cotton factories:

• Scavengers had to be small and fast. They crawled all day under the spinning looms, collected the fallen pieces of cotton, inhaled cotton dust, and dodged the working mechanisms.
• Scribes walked around the shop and sorted the threads that ran along with the machine. It was estimated that the child was passing about 24 miles during the working day.

Needless to say, that child labor conditions were far from perfect. The situation began to change in the early 1900s during social reform in the United States. The restricting child labor laws were passed as part of the progressive movement.

During the Great Depression , child labor issues raised again because of lacking open jobs to adults. The National Industrial Recovery Act codes significantly reduced child labor in America.

What about today?

Child labor today in wealthy countries accounts for 1% of the workforce. At the same time, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO) , the highest ranges of working children are in Africa (32%), Asia (22%), and Latin America (17%).

🧒 Causes of Child Labor

Speaking about child labor, you should understand the factors that lead to children employment:

• Poverty . According to ILO, it is one of the significant causes of child labor. Children have to work to support their families. Sometimes up to 40% of a household income is the child’s salary.
• Lack of access to education . An absence of school or its distant location and low quality of education affect children around the globe. Unaffordable tuition in local schools drives children to harmful labor.
• Culture . In some developing countries, it is common for children and adolescents to help their parents in a family business. They earn their pocket money because people believe such work allows children to develop skills and build character. Other cultures value girls’ education less than boys, so girls are pushed to provide domestic services.
• The growth of a low-paying informal economy. This macroeconomic factor explains acceptability and demand for child labor.

⚖️ Child Labor Laws Today

Don’t forget to mention current labor laws and regulations in your child labor assignment. You can mention slavery and human trafficking linked to the issue even today. You may refer to international laws or analyze legislative acts in different countries.

For example, the Fair Labor Standards Act determines age restrictions, jobs allowed for teenagers, and necessary paperwork.

Other acts, programs, and initiatives you should mention are:

• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
• Minimum Age Convention
• Medical Examination of Young Persons (Industry) Convention
• Australia’s and UK’s Modern Slavery Acts
• National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020
• International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor
• Child Labor Deterrence Act of 1993

When writing about child laws against child labor, you may also explore the best and worst countries for children’s work conditions.

You may also mention child labor incidents:

• UNICEF’s report on using enslaved children in cocoa production.
• Child labor in Africa’s cobalt, copper, and gold mines.
• GAP, Zara, Primark, H&M’s products made with cotton, which may have been picked by children. You can also find extra information on companies that use child labor.
• Child labor in silk weaving factories.

Child Labor Essay Examples

• Child labor’s negative impact on human development . 
• Child labor and social worker interventions . 
• Child labor in the fashion industry . 
• Child labor, its forms, and disputable issues . 
• Ethics in business: child labor in the chocolate industry.  
• Samsung and child labor: business ethics case . 
• Child labor’s role in westernization and globalization . 

Child Labor Essay Topics

• Analyze the connection between poverty and child labor.  
• Discuss the reasons for the high trafficking of children rates.   
• Explain why child labor is among topical issues in the modern world.  
• What can be done to reduce child trafficking rates?  
• Explore the ways labor unions help to fight child labor.    
• Describe the child labor laws around the world and evaluate their effectiveness.  
• Analyze the cases of child exploitation in sweatshops in developing countries. 
• Discuss the social issues connected with child labor .   
• Examine the impact of child labor on children’s physical and mental health.  
• The role of UNICEF in the abolition of child labor and exploitation.  
• Child trafficking as a primary human rights issue.  
• The absence of adequate punishment is the reason for increased child slavery rates.
•  Analyze if current measures to prevent child exploitation are sufficient enough.  
• Discuss how social media platforms facilitate child trafficking .   
• Examine the social impact of child exploitation and trafficking .  
• Describe how the attitude towards child labor depends on the specifics of the country’s culture.  
• Explore how Zara’s use of child labor influenced its public image.  
• What organizations deal with commercial child exploitation prevention?  
• What can a healthcare professional do to help the victims of child exploitation ?  
• Analyze the urgency of creating an effective program for the recovery of child trafficking victims .  
• Discuss the laws regulating child labor in different countries.  
• Explain the connection between the level of education in the country and child labor rates.  
• The role of parents in the success of child labor and exploitation prevention.  
• Explore the history of child labor.  
• Can labor be the way to teach children about basic life skills?  
• The disastrous effect of child trafficking on the mental health of its victims.  
• Discuss the problems connected with child trafficking and exploitation investigation.
• Examine the cases of using child soldiers in modern armed conflicts.  
• Analyze the role of international organizations in saving child soldiers.  
• The use of abducted children as frontline soldiers in Uganda.  
• What can be done to overcome the issue of child soldiers in the near future?  
• Discuss what fashion brands can do to prevent the use of child labor in overseas sweatshops .
• Explain why young workers are more vulnerable to exploitation compared to adult workers.
•  Explore the issue of child labor and exploitation in the Industrial Age .  
• Analyze how child labor affects the education of children . 
• Describe the business ethics of child labor.  
• Who is responsible for the use of child labor at tea plantations?   
• Examine the reasons for using child labor in mining in the 19 th century . 
• Employing child labor as one of the most widespread violations of children’s rights .
• Discuss the motives that push children to participate in labor.  

How old were you when you got your first job? Was it hard? Share with us your experience and advice in the comments below! Send this page to those who might require help with their child labor essay.

• Child Labor Issues and Challenges: NIH
• Child Labor: World Vision Australia
• Essay Structure: Harvard University
• Child Labor: Human Rights Watch
• Child Labor: Laws & Definition: History.com
• Child Labor: Our World in Data
• History of Child Labor in the United States, Part 1: Little Children Working: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to email

Nowadays, knowing several foreign languages is no longer surprising. For example, learning French is common for English-speaking countries. So, getting an assignment on this subject won’t be a surprise for a student.

Dissertation critique writing develops the students’ critical and logical thinking abilities. When composing, the students learn to analyze the works conducted by other researchers. To critique a dissertation, you should: Thoroughly read the paper.Take notes and summarize the text (you can even try and use auto summarizer for that).Interpret and...

An opinion essay is a formal piece of writing which presents the author’s point of view on a particular subject supported by reasoning and examples. The opposing viewpoint is also suggested, but it is followed by arguments that show its inconsistency. Take a look at the guide prepared by Custom-writing experts to...

So, you need to accomplish your discursive essay writing. The typical questions most students ask are: How do you write it? What is discursive essay? A discursive essay is an academic paper that involves a discussion on a particular topic. It is usually assigned to college students. You may be...

How to write a narrative essay? To do that, you need to know what a narrative essay is. It is an academic text usually written as a story and containing all the usual elements of a story. Narrative essays are often personal, experiential, and creative. Still, they should be made...

So, you can’t wait to get into college and join a fraternity, sorority, or student union. Well, we have some incredibly useful tips and helpful information for college admission essay writing! Remember: getting into college takes more than money. And outstanding essays get you great college scholarships!

It’s not hard to see why Americanism is one of the most popular essay topics. The concept of Americanism is in the center of the US identity. Writing an essay about it is an excellent way to find out more about this great country.

An art critique paper involves a comprehensive analysis and assessment of an artwork. Though this looks a bit complicated, the task doesn’t require a lot of time if you have sufficient critique writing skills. It’s an interesting assignment for students of art colleges as well as high schoolers. All you...

An article review is an academic assignment that invites you to study a piece of academic research closely. Then, you should present its summary and critically evaluate it using the knowledge you’ve gained in class and during your independent study. If you get such a task at college or university,...

Short essays answer a specific question on the subject. They usually are anywhere between 250 words and 750 words long. A paper with less than 250 words isn’t considered a finished text, so it doesn’t fall under the category of a short essay. Essays of such format are required for...

When you hear the phrase “spiritual leadership,” you probably think it’s only associated with religion. But did you know that this form of leadership can also be found in business? The book Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda by Henry and Richard Blackaby is a good starting point...

High school and college students often face challenges when crafting a compare-and-contrast essay. A well-written paper of this kind needs to be structured appropriately to earn you good grades. Knowing how to organize your ideas allows you to present your ideas in a coherent and logical manner This article by...

can u give me a Topic Sentence please

this does not help at all

Do you mind if I quote a few of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your weblog? My website is in the exact same niche as yours, and my visitors would genuinely benefit from some of the Infomation you provide here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Thanks!

• Essay Topic Generator
• Summary Generator
• Thesis Maker Academic
• Sentence Rephraser
• Read My Paper
• Hypothesis Generator
• Cover Page Generator
• Text Compactor
• Essay Scrambler
• Essay Plagiarism Checker
• Hook Generator
• AI Writing Checker
• Notes Maker
• Overnight Essay Writing
• Topic Ideas
• Writing Tips
• Essay Writing (by Genre)
• Essay Writing (by Topic)

How to Write a Child Labor Essay: Outline, Tips, & Titles

Child labor is a problem in both economically advanced and developing countries. That is why it makes a good topic for essays and research.

If you’re writing an essay on child labor, be ready for the horrifying information. We prepared an explanation of the problem, essay topics, and outlines. You can also find 200+ word essay samples in this article.

• 📚 Child Labor Essay Explained
• ✍️ Argumentative Essay Writing
• 🗣️ Persuasive Essay Writing
• 🔐 Problem-Solution Essay Writing

🚸 49 Child Labor Essay & Research Topics

📚 preparing for an essay on child labor.

Let’s begin with an overview of the problem.

In this passage, we will discuss how the problem appeared and developed. Then we will identify the current issues. You can find the information that you can use in your child exploitation essay. Next, begin your research on the topic.

What Are the Main Issues of Child Labor?

Child labor became a global issue during the industrial revolution. It created a demand for an additional workforce. To the present day, this question remains unsolved and puts millions of children in danger.

Let’s define the major themes that you can discuss in a child labor essay:

• Interfering with studies. Children who work full-time are not able to attend school and do their homework. Accordingly, a lack of education makes it hard for them to find better jobs. Kids need to do their best to receive as much knowledge as possible to be intellectually developed.
• Harm to physical and mental health. Working conditions are never at the appropriate level. An unhealthy environment leads to various diseases. Besides, some children work in the sex industry, which harms their mental stability.
• Some of the children become slaves. It involves trafficking and sale of children , forced labor, and all forms of slavery. There is nobody to take care of these children. Therefore, some of them end up wandering the streets.

Sources for a Child Labor Essay

Make sure you use credible information for all of your essays. Avoid such sources as social media, forums, and Wikipedia.

How to find sources for your child labor argument essay?

Here is our selection of reliable sources:

✍️ Child Labor Argumentative Essay Writing Guide

An argumentative essay is a perfect match for this issue. It gives a variety of research topics and information for solid arguments.

In a child labor argumentative essay, you need to convince that your point has a right to exist. You should use some evidence to support it. You also need to mention opposing opinions and explain them. This type of paper looks like a written debate. We will give some writing tips and help you to outline your work.

Child Labor Essay Outline

Before writing, you need to do prior research to find a topic. Your topic should be controversial, so there is an alternative point of view. If there is enough credible information on the chosen topic, you can continue. If not, try to broaden or change your primary focus.

1. Child Labor Essay Introduction

The introduction is where you need to provide the background information and a short overview of what will be in the following paragraphs. Include all the explanations and sources that might be hard to understand.

You can start with a hook introducing surprising information or asking a provocative question. Just make sure that it doesn’t break the general logic of your assignment.

Define why the topic is important and why the readers should pay attention to the issue. Introduce the point of view that you will prove in the paper.

2. Child Labor Essay Thesis Statement & Body

It is better to begin writing an essay with this part. Your thesis statement should be the last sentence of your introduction paragraph.

• What should you include there?
• Your position on the issue,
• The strongest arguments that prove it,
• A counterargument that opposes it.

Provide arguments and counterarguments. In other words, you have to make a list of the reasons that prove and rebut your opinion. Introduce the evidence that supports your and opposing points and explain its importance.

Each paragraph should revolve around a particular idea. You can include a transition sentence at the end of each passage. Do that if you feel it will bring more logic to your writing.

3. Child Labor Essay Conclusion

In this paragraph, provide a summary of the evidence. Don’t introduce any new information. It is better to synthesize what you’ve mentioned before. Make sure you answered the questions that you stated in the introduction.

Explain the significance of your point and research. Suggest ways of further research and investigation of the topic.

It is also the right moment to review your essay. If you see that your conclusion is not logical enough, return to your argumentation line. It will help you to identify the flows and fix the conclusion.

14 Child Labor Essay Titles

Here are some title ideas for a good argumentative essay about child labor:

• Child abuse and labor as modern society challenge .
• Should the minimum age of employment in the United States be changed? What are the risks of such a decision?
• Can work be a positive experience for children of school age? What are the risks and benefits?
• Does work influence school performance among children and teenagers?
• What can be considered “light work” when it comes to children’s employment?
• Can we control the online employment of children? For example, blogging, running a YouTube channel, etc.
• Are bad working conditions in India the leading cause of diseases among children? What are the main risks?
• Why it is important to rase societal awareness of the child labor problem .
• Is it possible for adolescents to successfully combine work and studies?
• Do household chores make children more responsible? Can it be counted as work?
• Can child domestic work be considered family violence ?
• How does work at a young age affect future earnings potential? Do these children become more or less successful?
• Should there be a minimum age requirement for working on small farms and family businesses?
• Effects of child labor in farming on children .

Child Labor Essay Examples #1

Check this excellent argumentative essay sample about child labor.

Topic: Should there be a minimum age requirement for work on small farms and family businesses? In the United States, half a million child farmworkers work in fields . Some start working full time even before they reach the age of ten. There should be a minimum age regulation of 15 years for children working for their parents. Children are less endurant in physical work, and they can’t be productive at school. Besides, chemicals used in agriculture are dangerous for health. Children are less physically developed than adults. Also, children need more time to recover from challenging physical activities. That is why they need to work not more than three hours a day. And from at least 15 years to handle the physical challenges. Studies need time and effort. Children engaged with hard physical work can’t get enough time to study and rest. Working instead of doing homework is the worst decision for school performance. Children should have an opportunity to devote enough time to their studies. Else they won’t be able to access better jobs in the future. Pesticides increase the risk for cancer in children. It includes leukemia, acute leukemia, and lymphoma risks. Children who work in agriculture are three times more likely to get cancer than adults exposed to carcinogenic effects. This makes children’s health more vulnerable to fatal outcomes. In conclusion, children’s work in agriculture should be restricted under the age of 15. Hard work affects children’s physical development, school performance, and health. It is vital to control children’s employment even if they work at their parents’ farms.

🗣️ Persuasive Essay on Child Labor Writing Guide

Writing a persuasive essay is also a good opportunity to develop this topic. Try to choose a catchy title that grabs your reader’s attention from the beginning. You can raise important questions which involve morality and ways of fighting the problem. Also, you can assess and propose strategies that can help to eliminate the issue.

In a persuasive essay, you need to convince your readers that you are right. To do this, you need to gather some logical evidence and prove your point using it. It involves less thorough academic research than an argumentative essay. However, you need to find a way to reach your readers.

There is a five-paragraph structure in this essay . A thesis statement plays a key role. You need to explain your point of view on the issue there. Then, provide the supporting evidence and the background information using persuasive language.

Child Labor Essay Introduction

There are three main parts that you need to include in the introduction:

• Hook. Make your first sentence exciting. A rhetorical question, fact, or mystery are all excellent choices. You can use descriptive words to make your readers picture everything.
• Background information. Use it to make your readers familiar with the problem.
• Definitions. Explain everything that might be uncertain for your readers.
• Thesis statement. Introduce your main argument. It will be the roadmap of your argumentation in the essay.

Child Labor Essay Thesis Statement & Body

Always make sure that the logic of your essay follows your thesis statement. If it doesn’t, consider rewriting the thesis or adjusting the arguments. Each of the paragraphs should represent one idea that appears in the thesis statement.

• Here are some additional tips on writing a persuasive essay on child labor: use empathy – target the audience’s emotions to prove your point; know both sides – research what you have to disagree with; be passionate about your topic – it’s easier to defend what you believe in.

Child Labor Essay Conclusion

Summarize your writing and paraphrase the child labor thesis statement . Mention all of your arguments again and explain why they make your opinion the only correct option. Some readers will remember only this part of the paper, so do your best to make the last impression. You can also call people to action at the end of the essay.

Read your essay once again in a couple of hours. Ask yourself these two questions:

• Would the writing convince me if I were the reader?
• What can I do to make it more convincing?

Make final adjustments after it.

15 Child Labor Essay Titles

These topics are perfect both for persuasive essays and speeches . Pick your title from our selection:

• Why shouldn’t we buy goods whose production involves child labor?
• All working children should receive free quality education and have access to schools.
• Child poverty in Canada as a reason for child labor .
• Girls’ education is equally important. We shouldn’t force girls to do household chores instead of homework.
• Why children’s employment under the age of 14 should be banned?
• Child abuse and labor effects on adult survivors .
• How can working children study and provide money to their families at the same time?
• Child labor deprives many children of education. Does child labor cause poverty from a long-term perspective?
• Child abuse and labor in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries .
• What is the main issue of child labor that should concern people the most?
• How does work affect children’s physical and mental development?
• The effects of child abuse and child labor .
• Should Amish children obey the same laws on children’s employment as other American citizens?
• What role does child labor play in Hindi culture and religion?
• Domestic violence and child domestic work as a form of child abuse .

Child Labor Essay Examples #2

Topic: Why shouldn’t we buy goods whose production involves child labor? Such industries as fast fashion take advantage of children. Children work in all the stages of the cotton supply chain. That is why fast fashion brands are so cheap. We shouldn’t buy clothes whose production involves child labor. These children are underpaid, suffer bad conditions, and can’t defend themselves against employers. Children don’t demand high salaries and receive less money as a result. For example, children who work in cottonseed farms in India earn less than $1 a day . Their working day can last up to 12 hours, making it 8 cents/hour. Buying cheap clothes might be pleasant, but we should know its price. The cotton industry exposes children to dangerous chemicals and machinery. They have to carry heavy loads and work in extreme temperatures. The food supply is not enough, and the working hours exceed the limit. Employers generally see children as more obedient workers who cannot stand for their rights. It results in worse working conditions, longer hours, and less attention to children’s comfort. Buying cheap clothes encourages cotton industries to involve more children in their production cycles. In conclusion, we shouldn’t buy fast fashion goods because it encourages companies to produce more clothes that involve child labor. Business models of such companies make their products not last long, making us buy more goods and employers hire more children. Instead, we need to buy clothes of better quality that will serve us longer. We also need to make sure that the production chain of the clothes we buy doesn’t involve any forms of underpaid jobs in severe conditions.

🔐 Problem Solution Essay about Child Labor

Child labor is generally one big problem that needs a solution. That is why you can write a very good essay on this topic. But better focus on specific issues rather than on the general problem.

In this passage, we prepared some tips, an outline, and a selection of child labor essay titles for a problem solution essay.

For this type of essay, there are two ways of building the argumentation line: chain method & block method . Both have a five-paragraph structure, but the logic might differ.

A problem-solution essay about child labor aims to identify the specific problem and offer logical solutions. It should encourage the readers to take a particular course of action.

First of all, you need to describe the background of the problem. Write about the situation and how it evolved. Then explain why it does require a solution. Briefly describe the contents of the following paragraphs. If there are subtopics, mention all of them.

Finish your introduction with a thesis statement. If needed, provide explanations or some definitions. Do it only if you know that your audience needs some clarification.

At first, you need to research the topic and narrow it down to a particular problem. Then prepare the best solutions, and describe why they are feasible. As your thesis statement should briefly describe the body paragraphs, make sure they don’t contradict each other.

• When presenting specific solutions, make sure they are logical. You need to convince your readers that the solutions you offer are the best course of action.

Make a summary of the main points of the body paragraphs. Restate the thesis and evaluate the suggested solutions. Answer all the questions you have mentioned in the introductory paragraph.

You can include unsolved problems and unanswered questions in the final sentences.

After finishing the conclusion, return to your child labor essay introduction and body. Proofread the spelling and grammar. Make sure that the writing is logical and solid.

Child Labor Essay Titles

Take a look at our selection of problem-solution essay titles:

• How to change labor laws in developing countries so children can combine school and work?
• Edo State is the most popular spot for human trafficking in Africa. How to stop child trafficking in Nigeria?
• Addressing the issue of the child poverty and labor .
• How to make education a priority for children and their parents in African countries?
• How to stop Indian families from forcing their children to work ?
• Child labor and child abuse: The role of nurses .
• How to break the cycle of poverty that child labor creates?
• What are the ways to prevent child exploitation in agriculture in Latin America?
• Breaking the cycle of family violence that working children often face .
• How to prevent children from engaging in the worst forms of child work in the Philippines?
• What can parents with low income do if they don’t want their children to work?
• Nurse’s role in preventing child abuse and child labor .
• What should be the punishment for employers who hire children in hazardous positions?
• How to define “child labor” correctly so the concept is never misunderstood?

Child Labor Essay Examples #3

Topic: How to break the cycle of poverty that child labor creates? Child labor deprives children of obtaining proper education, which is the leading cause of global poverty. They miss classes or don’t attend school at all. That is why it becomes harder for them to find well-paid jobs. To break the cycle of poverty, we should ensure children have access to schools. Volunteering in developed countries can help with that. Building more schools means that children from remote areas will have an opportunity to visit them. Providing access to the Internet to encourage online education is also a solution to this problem. While both methods are pricey, it is an investment that will pay off when these children start working. People from developed countries can play a significant role in eliminating child labor. Volunteer teachers can educate children and train local teachers. Encouraging volunteers to spend a couple of months in developing countries can help a lot. Gap year students and young specialists can take part in projects and initiatives to help end child labor. Parents often force their kids to work because they don’t have enough financial resources. The government needs to ensure funding for families, especially those which consist of many children. Such financial support can include stipends for low income. Parents can send their children to school knowing they will be financially safe. Education is the key to ending child labor. That is why countries need to make it a priority to ensure their economic growth. All the investments made for equal access to education and financial support to families will result in better job opportunities for children.

And here is our additional selection of titles for a child labor essay:

• What are the causes and effects of child labor in Asia?
• How are child labor laws violated in European countries?
• In what ways does globalization encourage child labor?
• History of child labor in western Europe.
• Research into human trafficking: Children as victims of human trafficking and forced child labor .
• Child slavery in the southern states in the 19 th century.
• How the Great Depression changed the situation with child labor?
• Which organizations are the most successful in fighting child labor?
• Which big corporations use child labor as a cheap workforce?
• Human trafficking as modern form of slavery: The effects on children .
• How did feminists contribute to child labor law adjustments?
• In what forms does child labor exist in the US?
• How does working from an early age affect mental health?
• Are there any improvements concerning child labor in Asia?
• How does child labor affect the economy of a country?
• Child Exploitation, Trafficking and Their Threats.
• Who has the power to restrict child labor fully?
• Can domestic work be considered child labor in the United States?
• What was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s political course regarding child labor?
• What conditions and working hours are acceptable to children?
• Legal systems, labor relations and regulatory practices related to child labor .
• What diseases are likely to affect children working in tobacco fields?
• How to support activism against child labor in the United States?
• Which cultures encourage children to earn money to support their families?
• How have child labor laws changed in the last 20 years?
• Negative effects of child abuse and child labor .
• Is it possible to end child labor completely?
• How Has Slavery Shaped the Lives of Children of Color in the US?
• The difference between southern and western states regarding child labor in the 20 th century.
• What is Camella Teoli’s impact on activism against child labor?
• Child slavery and prostitution in the state of Georgia .
• What was Woodrow Wilson’s position regarding child labor?
• Child labor during World War II in the United States.
• Why is it easier for employers to repress children’s rights?
• The influences of child labor on the child’s life .
• The history of child labor in Eastern European cultures.
• Fast Fashion brand’s impact on ecology and child labor.
• Poverty and sex trafficking among children: Qualitative systematic review .
• Can technological progress eliminate child labor in Asian countries?
• How does the economic inequality of countries affect the child labor situation?
• Child labor during the industrial revolution and excessive working hours.
• Employment law: Reforms necessary to change child labor laws .
• In what cases does working experience help children to become more successful?
• What is the connection between racism and child labor?
• Which countries are the least successful in fighting child labor?
• What are the long-term outcomes of child labor regarding education?
• Child trafficking: The use of children for forced labor and sex slavery .
• Why should we change parents’ mindsets when it comes to child labor?
• What is the current child labor situation in the United States?

Thank you for reading this article till the end!

Now you are ready to write a perfect essay on child labor. Let’s revise what we have learned today:

• How to prepare to write a child labor essay.
• How to choose credible sources.
• How to write an argumentative essay.
• How to write a persuasive essay.
• How to write a problem and solution essay.

Also, don’t forget to proofread your essay and return to this article once you have finished your work. Good luck!

it’s really nice……………….it helps me too much

i love this site.

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Ind Psychiatry J
• v.27(1); Jan-Jun 2018

Challenges and perspectives of child labor

Amir radfar.

College of Graduate Health Studies, A.T. Still University, Mesa, Arizona, USA

Seyed Ahmad Ahmadi Asgharzadeh

1 Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran

Fernando Quesada

2 Department of Medicine, Universidad de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador

Irina Filip

3 Department of Psychiatry, Kaiser Permanente, Fontana, California, USA

Child labor is one of the oldest problems in our society and still an ongoing issue. During the time, child labor evolved from working in agriculture or small handicraft workshops to being forced into work in factories in the urban setting as a result of the industrial revolution. Children were very profitable assets since their pay was very low, were less likely to strike, and were easy to be manipulated. Socioeconomic disparities and lack of access to education are among others contributing to the child labor. Religious and cultural beliefs can be misguiding and concealing in delineating the limits of child labor. Child labor prevents physical, intellectual, and emotional development of children. To date, there is no international agreement to fully enforced child labor. This public health issue demands a multidisciplinary approach from the education of children and their families to development of comprehensive child labor laws and regulations.

INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL FACTS

Child labor is an old problem well rooted in human history. Children were exploited to various extents during different periods of time. The problem was common in poor and developing countries. In the 1800's, child labor was part of economic life and industrial growth. Children less than 14 years old worked in agriculture, factories, mining, and as street vendors.[ 1 ] Children from poor families were expected to participate to the family income, and sometimes they worked in dangerous conditions in 12-hour shifts.[ 1 ]

In the 1900's, in England, more than a quarter of poor families lost their children to diseases and death, endangering their extra financial support.[ 1 ] Boys worked in glass factories in high heat in three shifts because the furnaces were kept fired all the time to increase productivity, while girls were forced into prostitution. In 1910, it was estimated that more than two million children in the United States were working.[ 1 ]

With the increase of education, economy, and the emergence of labor laws, child labor decreased. However, child labor is still a widespread problem in many parts of the world in developed and developing countries. With the development of agriculture, children were again forced to be employed mostly by the families rather than factories. The main cause of child labor is the lack of schools and poverty.[ 2 ]

Per International Labor Organization (ILO, 2002), in the world, there are 211 million children laborers, 73 million under 10 years of age, 126 million children work in the worst forms of child labor, and more than 8 million are kept as slaves for domestic work, in trafficking, armed conflict, prostitution, and pornography. More than 20,000 children die yearly due to work-related accidents. Nearly, one-third of the world's children work in Africa.[ 3 ] Countries such as India have made efforts to tackle the worst forms of child labor. Despite this, 56.4% of children aged 5–14 work in agriculture and 33.1% work in industry.[ 4 ] Indian children are forced into labor to pay family debt. They work sometimes in hazardous environments, being forced into commercial sexual exploitation, human trafficking, or forcibly recruited or kidnapped to be part of terrorist groups.[ 4 ]

Child labor is morally and ethically unacceptable. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) was the first international body that signed in 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Children. It is for the first time in history when children are seen as humans with rights rather than economic assets of their parents. Child labor was defined as labor that harms the health of the children and deprives them of education rights. This law does not exclude children that work for their families.

ETHICAL FACETS OF CHILD LABOR

Child labor has many facets from the ethical point of view. Autonomy, beneficence, justice, nonmaleficence, privacy, and veracity are endangered during child labor.[ 5 ] Utilitarianists would support the idea of child labor as long as they are the sole providers for the family and without their income, the family would not survive and as long as the labor is voluntarily provided. The ends justify the means. Forced child labor is unethical because it is against the autonomy of the children. The consent of the working child is mostly manipulated by the parents. To give consent, a child needs to understand the situation, the consequences, and voluntarily agree to work. Children of young age, who have a less than fully competent capacity, can assent to an action by getting involved in the decision-making process. Children fall easy victims to unfair job conditions, and they do not have the power to stand-up against mistreatments.[ 6 ] The maleficence of this act has long-term physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences. Even if they are lacking the competency of making informed decisions, they are considered individuals with autonomy that should be protected and safeguarded.[ 6 ]

Child labor is more common in developing countries where more than 90% of children live.[ 3 ] Child labor in developing countries affects 211 million children.[ 3 ] The continent with the highest child employment rate is Asia with 61%, followed by Africa and Latin America. Nearly 41% of the children in Africa are below 14 years old, followed by Asia with 22% and Latin America 17%.[ 3 ] India has made progress in reducing the child labor. However, more than 4 million children in India between 5 and 14 years old work more than 6 hours a day, while about 2 million children aged 5–14 work 3–6 months in a year.[ 4 ]

CULTURAL BELIEFS AND CHILD LABOR

Cultural beliefs have an important role in encouraging child labor. In developing countries, people believe that work has a constructive effect on character building and increases skill development in children. There is a tradition in these families, where children follow the parents' footsteps and learn the job from an early age. Some cultural beliefs may contribute to the misguided concept that a girl's education is not as important as a boy's education, and therefore, girls are pushed into child labor as providers of domestic services.[ 7 ] In India, not putting a child to work means the family would not make enough income to sustain their living. Sociocultural aspects such as the cast system, discrimination, and cultural biases against girls contribute to child labor.[ 4 ]

RELIGION AND CHILD LABOR

It is generally accepted that parents have the fundamental right to educate and raise their children. Parents almost always try to act in the child's best interest at the best of their knowledge and beliefs. In doing so, they are reasonably motivated by their intellectual growth, social development, and at times by spiritual salvation. Oftentimes, parents seek guidance in religion to shape the upbringing of their children and to enhance their progress. Hard work is among others, an important religious value to instill from a young age.

Krolikowski found that Christian children were the least likely to work, while Muslim children, children with no religion, and children affiliated with a traditional African religion were more likely to work than Christians.[ 8 ] The 40% higher incidence of child labor among Indian Muslims compared with Indian Hindus is due perhaps to the impoverishment of Muslim community.[ 4 ] Amish people's life is also regulated by religious values. They believe that work and faith bring people closer to God.[ 9 ] Amish children are initiated from childhood into apprenticeship to learn the trade, and beyond eighth grade, they have to provide like an adult for the community. Education of children beyond eighth grade is considered a threat to the community values. The U. S. labor laws forbid children less than 16 years of age to work in hazardous places such as sawmill or woodworking. However, in 2004 an exception was made by the United States Department of Labor, who approved an amendment that allows Amish children between 14 and 18 years old to work.[ 10 ]

POLICIES AND CHILD LABOR

Child labor is rooted in poverty, income insecurity, social injustice, lack of public services, and lack of political will.[ 7 ] Working children are deprived from a proper physical and mental development. The millennium development goals (MDGs), issued in 2001 to implement the Millennium Declaration, set up commitments for poverty reduction, education, and women's empowerment. Persistence of poverty is the major cause of labor. However, child labor also causes poverty because it deprives the children from education and from a normal physical and mental development hampering a prosperous life as adults. The first MDG in addressing poverty is the elimination of child labor.[ 11 ]

The International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) was created by ILO in 1992 to progressively eliminate child labor. The priority addresses the worst forms of child labor such as slavery, prostitution, drug trafficking, and recruitment of children in armed conflicts.[ 12 ] IPEC is working with stakeholders from many countries to increase strengths and promote the fight against child labor. IPEC engage with multiple organizations, international and governmental bodies, community-based organizations, religious groups, private plural form businesses, children and their families.

Policy reform was promoted through country-based programs. The capacity building of institutions has been increased to better understand the obstacles and increase the ability of obtaining sustainable measures. These measures were meant to decrease child labor and bring children back in schools. In all these processes, statistical data were collected at the worldwide level, methodologies were set in place, and guidelines were created.

The Child Labor Platform was created as a business-led initiative by ILO in 2012, to identify the obstacles of the implementation of ILO conventions at the community level and to come up with solutions. This platform is a win-win situation for all parties involved: stakeholders as well children and their families. This platform offers training, research, and specialized tools to member companies, so they can carry out activities against child labor. Eliminating child labor is part of the corporates' social responsibility in line with their values and is what the society expects from them. This platform provides information how to get involved and how to find businesses that work collaboratively with the communities to solve the problem. Training and knowledge is a real value added for companies.[ 12 ] The Indian Government implemented a national project deemed to assist population to eradicate child labor, and set in place enforcements of criminal and labor law.[ 4 ]

ARGUMENTS FAVORING CHILD LABOR

Despite all these international and national measures against child labor, there are arguments in favor of child labor. Some argue that poor families would be even poorer without the supplemental financial contribution of children. Lack of money will deprive them of the basic needs of food and shelter which will decrease their survival rate. In addition, an increase in poverty would make children even more susceptible to exploitation.

The supporters of these ideas argue that the benefit of creating a safe workplace and allowing children to work is helpful in certain situations. They also emphasize that child work is not child labor as long as it does not interfere with schooling and children have safe workplace conditions with a limited number of hours per day.[ 13 ]

STAKEHOLDERS’ ROLE AND CHILD LABOR

The stakeholders most directly affected are the children and their families. Children are working at the expense of their education and normal mental development. Education is important not only for the intellectual development but also for the empowerment and acquisition of new skills for adult life. The health of children is endangered by work in hazardous conditions, abuse, exhaustion, malnutrition, or exposure to toxic materials. The psychological harm leads to behavioral problems later on in life.[ 14 ]

Despite the implementation of laws and measurements at the international level, child labor still persists, and it is caused by the same factors as 100 years ago. There is a need to address poverty and access to education. To date, there is no international agreement to define child labor. Every country has different laws and regulations regarding the minimum age for starting working based on the type of labor. The lack of international consensus on child labor makes the limits of child labor very unclear.[ 15 ]

Therefore, it is mandatory to create international policies that adopt a holistic approach to free quality education for all children, including labor children from poor families. Education should be continued beyond the primary school level and should be done in a formal setting. Studies show that nonformal education is a necessary but not a sufficient prerequisite for permanently withdrawing children from work.[ 15 ] The public educational system should be expanded to accommodate laborer children who still do not have access to school. More schools should be built, more teachers should be trained, and more educational materials should be available. A special attention should be given to children living in exceptional geographical conditions and mobility should be provided at the cost of the community. Children who dropped out of school should receive adequate guidance and support, and a smooth reentry should be facilitated. The development of schools in the rural areas would decrease the load of children in urban schools. This will allow parents to accommodate children's needs without having to migrate in big cities.

Another phenomenon that should be addressed is the social exclusion. Children engaged in the worst forms of child labor come from the lowest strata of the society. International Labor Organization launched a project on Indigen and tribal people, who are the most targeted by social exclusion. This project promotes their rights and encourages building capacity among their community.[ 15 ] Proper enforcement of child labor policies and the focus on education can break the cycle of poverty that drives the children into labor.

Child labor is a public health issue with negative outcomes that demands special attention. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to tackle child labor issues. Per ILO, poverty is a major single cause behind child labor. Lack of affordable schools and affordable education is another major factor to force children to work. Certain cultural beliefs rationalize this practice and encourage child labor as character building and skill development for children. Some cultural traditions encourage child labor as footsteps to their parents' jobs. Socioeconomic disparities, poor governance, and poor implementation of international agreements are among major causes of child labor. Macroeconomic factors also encourage child labor by the growth of low pay informal economy. Child labor prevents the normal well-being including physical, intellectual, and emotional psychosocial development of children. This public health issue cannot be eliminated by only enforcement of child labor laws and regulations. Any comprehensive policies should engulf a holistic approach on the education of children and their families, investment in early childhood development programs, establishing public education task forces in rural areas, implementing policies with focus on increasing adult wages, and discouraging consumers to buy products made by forced child labor. As such, ethical practice requires protection of all rights of children and protective policies and procedures which support the provisions of ILO's standards.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgment

The authors wish to thank the University Writing Center at A.T. Still University for assistance with this manuscript.

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Assessment of the impact of child labour on children educational achivment

ABSTRACT Child labour is an important aspect of social and economic reality that surrounds us although it is sometimes unnoticed. It is the severe problem of the world in general and the sub-Saharan countries like Ethiopia in particular in which children are considered an asset and means to improve livelihood of their family at the expense of their education. The attempt towards the elimination of child labor in Ethiopia is still lagging compare to the rest world. This in turn is affecting adversely the accumulation of human capital. Thus, the researcherwas intended to assess the impact of Child Labour on Children’s Educational Achievement in Ganta Afeshum Woredaand give the possible solution to overcome this problem. To realize this objective, the researcher employed qualitative approach and used in depth interview, FGD, key informant interview, personal observation data collection instruments and employed descriptive research and purposive sampling technique. The researcher analyzed the finding qualitatively through interpretation, description and summarization of the data. As the finding of the study indicates child labour is sever in rural area than urban area and also girls are more exposed for child labour than boys, children are involved in domestic and non-domestic productive activities. The attitude of communities toward child labour is also positive; they consider children as valuable asset for contributing family income. The views of households on working children arise commonly from their poor knowledge about the issue and is directed by traditional outlooks of uprooting ‘milk teeth’, that is seen as a shift from childhood to adulthood. As the finding indicates, Child labour has an impact on children’s educational achievement by making them: repeated the class, absenteeism from class, drop out, make very tired, shortage of times for study and reducing the chance to access education, beside this, as the finding indicate attitude of the communities, employers, poverty coupled with limited access to credit, health and family size as well as the abusive practices are thechallenges that hamper eliminating of child labour. Finally, as the finding indicate the local administratorstrategy of employing one sector, one children and work with NGOs, private sector and public sectors paly significant role via improving the future childhood of children, however,the involvement kebele administrator in tackling the problem is at low level, their understanding about child labour and implementing the existing legislation are poor though there are adequate law pertinent to children. Key words: Child Labour, Educational Achievement, Children

Related Papers

Child labour is the serious problems of the world in general and the sub-Saharan countries like Ethiopia in particular in which children are considered as asset and means to improve their livelihoods. This resulted low human capital accumulation by making children out of schooling. Child work, and the need for earnings, is almost certainly a key factor in children not accessing school and achievement good result. Thus, the researchers were intended to assess the impact of Child Labour on Children’s Educational Achievement in Ganta Afeshum Woreda. To realize this objective, the researchers employed qualitative approach and used in depth interview, FGD, key informant interview, personal observation data collection instruments and employed descriptive research and purpose sampling technique. At the end, the researchers analyzed the finding qualitatively through interpretation, description and summarization of the data.

Deng Gatluak Riek

Nurlign Birhan

QUEST JOURNALS

Pastoralists are among the marginalized groups of society who live in a marginalized environment and whose livelihood is exposed to the vagaries of climate and harsh environmental conditions. This study explores into impediments of pastoral children's participation into schooling and education with particular emphasis on the primary school of selected Woreda, Afar Zone. To achieve this purpose, a qualitative research method was employed. Participants of the study were selected by employing purposive sampling mainly on the basis of their roles related to schooling. Seven members of parent teacher associations, 20 teachers, 4 school principals, 14 education experts and officials, a total of 45 respondents took part in the study. Data were collected through the use of different instruments: Strutted interview, focus group discussion, and document review and observation checklist. The data obtained through these data collection instruments were analysed thematically. The steps involved were organizing and preparing data for analysis, reading through all data, coding, generating a description of the settings and people and identifying categories or themes for analysis, representing descriptions and themes in the qualitative narrative and interpretation. The study identified several cultural and economic barriers such as early marriage, lack of interest for modern education, parental level of education, mobility, child labor, poverty and finance. The results also showed that existence of both supply and demand side constraints. Problem of funding, inability to attract and retain qualified teaching staff, poorly equipped schools and community perception of modern education as a threat to pastoralist way of life were the major supply related shortcomings. The demand side limitations were identified as dispersed settlement patterns, demand for child labour, bride-price and peer pressure. Mandatory seasonal mobility, frequent conflicts and conflict induced displacement were cited as the most pronounced disenabling features.Drought and harsh weather were the driving forces of mobility. Competition over water sources and pastureland coupled with border dispute and cattle raid were identified as the long standing causes of armed conflict which in turn result in school activity disruption. Thus, based on the findings, recommendation is made to planners and policymakers so as to alleviate the observed shortcomings. Improving quality of school facilities, sensitization campaign on the benefits of education, blended mode of delivery, peace dialogue to arrest recurring conflicts, self-proof of schools about their worthiness to the local community and rethinking of teacher incentive mechanisms are some of the important propositions made in view to avert the long standing legacy of educational under representation of the Afar pastoralist communities in Ethiopia.

Eshetu Fekadu

Abstract: As is the case with other developing countries of the world, child labor is also a problem in Ethiopia. Child labor is mainly caused by poverty and the socio-cultural perspectives of society, where inhabitants require the labor of their children for household tasks and agricultural activities than sending them to school. The study was conducted to assess the general situation of child labor exploitation and children’s participation in primary education in selected primary schools at Debub Omo Zone and thereby to recommend mechanisms to alleviate the problem. This study has used both primary and secondary data sources. The methods used to collect primary data include: in depth-interview, focus group discussion, and observation. Informants were selected by purposive and available sampling techniques based on variables: age, sex, religion, education, occupation and marital status and a total of 58 informants participated in the study. Findings of the study revealed that child labor became a major problem in the study area, where it is closely associated with poverty and socio-cultural viewpoint of the society, which value children as an economic asset of their families. As a result of this, children were forced to drop their schooling or not got the chance to go to school. As the study reveals, children were expected to perform both domestic activities (such as cooking, fetching water and fire wood, caring siblings and washing) and productive activities (like cultivating, planting, weeding, harvesting, and keeping cattle and goats). The finding also indicates that child labor affects the physical, social, emotional, educational and health conditions of the working child. Therefore, it needs collaborative effort of all governmental, non-governmental and family’s effort in the fight against child labor, so as to ensure children’s school participation. Keywords: Child labor, Exploitation, Participation, Debube Omo, Zone.

Dursa Aliyi

Daniel Agena

mesay tekle

mustafe muhumed

MA thesis in educational leadership and management at jigjiga university of Ethiopia

RELATED PAPERS

Shoko Yamada

Getachew Demie

Berhanu Kuma

Bosha Bombe

Tone Sommerfelt , Henriette Lunde

Dawit Soge Soto

Bahre Gebru

Environment and Development Economics

Sosina Bezu

Mulatu Lerra

Anetneh Ethiopia

Berhanu Kuma , Teshome Desta , mesfine sodd , Andualem Ufo , Abrham Taddele , Ashenafi Selassie

Emebet Mulugeta

sata shiferaw

Dr. Serawit H Melkato

Dakmara Georgescu

Fitsum Aregawi

Putting Children First: new frontiers in the fight against child poverty in Africa.

Elizabeth Ngutuku

Rakeb Aberra , Fasil Mulatu Gessesse

Temesgen Thomas , Birhanie A L E M U Kebede

Hashutaw Wolebo

Michael W. Thomas

jibril babayo

Mikiyas Defabachew

etd.aau.edu.et

Ashenafi Tirfie

Solomon Kebede

19_ICES_The_Book_of_Abstracts

Mehari Worku

Abdu Ahmedin

Shefan Ze Axum

Tariku Tadesse

Bisrat Kassahun

furio rosati

DAVID M THOLLEY

Kristen Cheney

Damene M A T S A N A Malado

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

Child Labor - Free Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

Child labor refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives them of their childhood and is harmful to their physical and mental development. Essays on child labor could discuss its historical context, the industries most implicated, the socio-economic factors perpetuating it, and international efforts to combat such practices. We’ve gathered an extensive assortment of free essay samples on the topic of Child Labor you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Child Labor Progressive Era

Children were welcome to work as a factory workers during early 1900s , due to pay cuts, long hours and lack of attention to safety, and the fact that many of these children were employed in sectors were they would be conducting tasks that usually adults would not be able to do, these children were at great risks. During the progressive era, the unions formed which would go against the child labor. Child labor was at times be even more […]

The Industrial Revolution and Child Labor

The Industrial Revolution had a negative effect on society due to the child labor and horrible working conditions. Until the 1780s most work would have been done by hand. It was the movement which powered machinery. Great Britain was the first country which was industrialized. The reasons why it started in Great Britain was because the agricultural revolution, the enclosure movement, capital, natural resources, and supply of markets. There were many accounts concerning child labor in the 1700s. Child labor […]

Live Free and Starve, by Chitra Divakaruni

In this article Live Free and Starve, by Chitra Divakaruni, she uses numerous events to showcase her opinion on child labor in Third World countries. In response to Americans who recently passed a bill on banning the import of goods made by children, Divakaruni gives an explanation how breaking ties with these companies may negatively affect the lives and sustenance of children and their families. I agree with most of Divakaruni’s points because they are very logical. However, I feel […]

We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs.

Increase of Child Labor

Industrial Revolution Due to the increase of child labor and the improvement in transportation, society during and after the Industrial Revolution was a mixed legacy. Many new things started during this time period. Child labor was a negative effect on society, whereas transportation was a positive effect. Many of the new things that happened during the Industrial Revolution set the foundations higher for modern society as a whole. The Industrial Revolution called for a higher work ethic and the will […]

Child Labor in Africa

Over the past decade, the demand for goods has increased worldwide, putting more stress on economies throughout the world. In Africa, some places such as the Sub-Saharan region don't have a stable government, yet are still pressured to sell products to survive. According to the International Labour Organization, Africa has the largest number of child laborers at 72.1 million children. The main economic reason for this dramatic increase in relying on children to work is poverty. Parent’s living in such […]

The Second Industrial Revolution

The Second Industrial Revolution took place in America from the 1870s until the beginning of World War I in 1914. During these forty-five years young children and women began working in the workforce as well as many people migrating from all over the world, mostly from Europe in hope to find their American dream and jobs. This created urbanization and overpopulation. Technology also advanced which created a more competitive companies and economy. The characteristics of the Second Industrial Revolution include […]

Child Labor was a Crucial Part

Child labor was a crucial part for the success of the United States. Making small children work for fifteen hours a day is terrible and in no way moral. However, without the children working then the Industrial revolution would have failed in America ,thus, having major consequences. America is one of the leading countries in the world in economics,science, technology, and more. All of this success stems from the Industrial revolution. Without the revolution America would be so far behind […]

Child Labor Comes up

When the topic of child labor comes up many people either say it was a bad thing, or it was a good thing. Some people may feel bad for what the kids went through and some simply don’t care. It’s okay not to care but it should at least make you wonder and feel concerned about it. Throughout history we have seen children working hard as servants or either apprentices. Yes Children have been exposed to labor work but further […]

Industrial Revolution: Definitions, Causes and History

The Industrial Revolution was a period of time between the 18th and 19th century that sparked the beginning of a major change in modern society from old ways of farming and agriculture to a shift in urbanization and modern machine manufacturing. Prior to the industrial revolution, most of the manufacturing was done in people’s houses using hand tools and other basic machines. However, with the new advanced machinery and factories, the mass producing of products would soon be more efficient […]

The Problem of Child Labor

We dwelled in the world where 306 children are employed in child labor (ILO REPORT 2010) Small children are the charming and beautiful flowers of this relatively flowers of this land. They are innocent inwardly and externally. There is no doubt, they are the great and precious beauty of the world. In the morning when some kids survive to their schools and enjoy the happiest minutes of their lives, but those kids who cannot move to cultivate due to some […]

Child Labor and Somalia

Imagine seeing children selling cigarettes or a narcotic plant which is used by adults and young people to get high. Even worse imagine young children leaving home every day to work as prostitutes. This is happening in Somalia, located on the horn of Africa. There are many countries located in Sub-Saharan Africa that allow child labor but Somalia is the worst of these countries (UNHCR, The UN Refuge Agency, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to look at a […]

The Industrial Era

The Industrial Era was a time in which American transformed into a modern, urban and industrial nation. The growth of the economy encouraged the industry. The rural and farm life of the nation was taken over by the industry and urbanization. The development of cities involved advancements in technology and an increase in diversity within a society. The Industrial Revolution reached the United States during the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution reshaped culture in America. It had significant effects on […]

Should Child Labor be Legal?

Children are dying all because of Child labor! It’s horrible. There are about 168 million children worldwide trapped in child labor. Children are in serious trouble which means we have to stop the situation so children can live their normal lives and be free. Child labor is “the use of children in industry or business, especially when illegal or considered inhumane”. Child labor has many kids miss out on school, it’s very dangerous, last but not least they don’t get […]

Industrial Revolution with Child Labor

Child labor is so inhumane and a serious thing that shouldn’t be tolerated. Children shouldn’t be deprived from their childhood. Child Labor was highly common in the United States by the early 1900s. Lewis Hine’s photographs were a great help to bring out the message, and his main goal was to stop child labor. The National Child Labor Committee distributed Hine’s photographs to try and convince the public that child labor should be illegal. “They would put the photos in […]

Let them Fly: Addressing Child Labor and Fostering Education in Myanmar

Last year summer, I was in my country and I saw a boy who is just six or seven years old was working in the restaurant where I went. I asked that boy ‘Why are you working here?’ then he answered that his parents bring him here to work and he said he feels so exhausted every day and he wants to go to school.And I realized that there will be so many children who is working right now and […]

Child Labor in Late the 1800s and Early 1900s

Life today would not be the same for children if it were not for people who fought against child labor, laws were finally implemented, and new equipment and technology at the time of the Industrial Revolution. In America, in the late 1800s and early 1900s children performed jobs that children today would never be allowed to perform. These jobs had negative impacts on the life of a child. Children worked long hours under poor conditions causing illness and at times […]

Child Labour Issues and Challenges

Childhood should be a child’s happiest moment in life. They should be able to spend it playing with friends, spending time with family, and going to school; however, not all children are fortunate enough to have this opportunity. Their childhood days are taken over by their jobs. Millions of kids around the world, mostly in developing countries, work long hours for just pennies a day. They sacrifice their health, safety, and sometimes their lives. Child labor is often mistaken as […]

Employing Child Labor of Nike Company

Nike is a multi-billion sportswear company and it has been accused of employing child labor in the past and recent years. In the article 'We Blew It': Nike Admits to Mistakes Over Child Labor written by Steve Boggan, Nike acknowledges that they have employed children in Third World countries. After Nike presented its first “corporate responsibility report” to its stakeholder’s labor groups such as Oxfam's Nike Watch and the Clean Clothes Campaign were not comfortable with the situation. The report […]

Solution of Child Labor Problem

In many developing and developed countries child labour is become a vulnerable topic that effects their childhood, their potential as well as it also interferes and harms children’s physical ,mental and social development. It also damages, spoils and destroys the life of the children. Children want to go school, but unhappily, they are enforced to do opposed to their bound. It is totally illegal act for which one should be punished but because of the unproductive rules and regulations it […]

Does Patagonia Use Child Labor?

Have you ever checked the labels on your clothes to see where they come from? Do the companies provide safe and fair conditions to the workers? You may not have known that some of these workers work up to 20 hours a day to make the product you need. There are some companies that use forced labor and don’t tell the truth about what themselves. Over the past years, Patagonia has been installing progressive ideas to help create better working […]

Child Labor and Forced Labor

Imagine living in a world where you are not waking up to a morning of eating a bowl of cereal or even going to math class. Well, many kids around the world do not get anything like that. These kids have to wake up to a 3.5° Celsius morning at 6 o’clock, just for a long 16 hour day of hard, dangerous, work. What is Child Labor? Child Labor is a word people use to describe children being forced into […]

Nestle Company

Ethics The ethical issues affecting Nestlé are, for instance, convincing mothers to use their newly invented product, infant formula preferred to the nutritious breast milk. While the company is aware of the consequences, their product can have to the babies, making the matter worse the company gave it to the less developed countries where poverty is the primary challenge. Another ethical issue is the ignorance of child labour in the Ivorian plantation (Jarzyna, 2016). The company is aware of the […]

Child Labor Back in the 19th Century

Child Labor Back in the 19th century, when America had begun industrialization, the use of children to perform hard, laborious, and dangerous work was common among factories and farm owners. Poor and innocent children were pushed and shoved around to do dangerous work for others every day. Most kids were forced to tolerate this treatment because they needed to earn money to help provide for their families, but the amount of money they were making could not even help in […]

Child Labor in the Industrial Revolution

Industrial revolution was the major crucial eras that changed Great Britain Nardinelli (1980; p.739). It happened because of steady monetary, social and political posture in Great Britain and conveyed permanent effects in Britain. With its fast rising monopoly on ocean trade, its renewed interest in technical discovery, and its system of state banks holding tight to its economic safety. Industrial revolution was called the greatest era in the history which endlessly transformed Verdon (2002; p.299) stated that urban life, social […]

Child Labor in the 21st Century

It is the 21st century and in the comforts of America the thought of child labor is far from the minds of the average individual. What has failed to be realized is that still in many rural areas of America we still have children working in the agriculture industry for food so that we may eat and have clothes to wear. Or that children in poverty stricken countries are mining metals such as cobalt or precious diamonds so that we […]

Introduction to Child Labor

Imagine if your family had no money and all hope was lost. Until you see an ad for a job to good to be true.The next thing you know your in Africa working in a factory. Children have always worked in the US. and other countries. Child labor gained popularity in the19th and 20th centuries also in times of the great depression and the industrialization era. Child labor is very popular in foreign countries in tiny places. Children under the age […]

Temporary Labor Migrants

According to The UN, “a migrant worker is defined as a ‘person who is to be engaged, is engaged, or has been engaged in a remunerated (paid) activity in a State of which he or she is not a national.’” This definition includes six primary categories: temporary labor migrants, highly skilled and business migrants, irregular migrants, forced migrants, family member migrants, and return migrants. Labour migrants travel outside of their country for short periods of time, to provide for families […]

About Child Labor in Nepal

152 million children between 5 and 17 are victims of child labor, with almost half working in hazardous conditions (Reid Maki). These numbers have decreased overall from years past, but for some countries the problem remains consistent. In Nepal, the issue remains persistent with around 1.6 million children in child labor (ILO in Nepal). The issue in this country is alarming, but many are coming together to improve the situation. There are researchers looking into the causes and solutions of […]

Child Labor Essay

"Did you know that over 100 million kids are in severely dangerous situations of child labor? Clearly, child labor is a hotly debated topic that some people believe that is good and it helps kids learn responsibility but others believe that child labor is wrong. Overall child labor is wrong and should not be allowed because it causes kids to lose important parts of their life, the laborers get little to no pay, and kids get out into dangerous situations. […]

Negative Effects of Child Labor in the Industrial Revolution

In the early 1800’s to the middle half of the 1900’s, children were viewed as labor workers. Children did not attend school or get an education like kids do today. Instead, adults took these young kids advantage and used them as labor workers since they were too naive and unable to go against the commands of adults. As the Newsies insinuates, life back in the Industrial Revolution was you work or you live on the streets. Adults and kids alike […]

Additional Example Essays

• The Progressive Era: A Catalyst for Social Reform and Change
• Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis
• Compare And Contrast In WW1 And WW2
• Death Penalty Should be Abolished
• Logical Fallacies in Letter From Birmingham Jail
• How the Roles of Women and Men Were Portrayed in "A Doll's House"
• Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail
• Their Eyes Were Watching God Analytical Essay
• The Effect of Alcohol on College Students
• Concepts of Knowledge in 'Allegory of the Cave'
• The reason Why I Want To Be A Biomedical Engineer

Essay About Child Labour When raising children, it is important to teach them good values and how to be successful in the real world; which is why most parents allow their children to apply for a job or allow them to perform minimal tasks at home at such a young age. In a paper titled “Child Labor in the World Economy”, which was written by a professor of political science at Albion College, the International Labor Organization (ILO) states, “Economic activity by children that is appropriate to age, safe and consonant with a child's education, is perfectly acceptable…light age-appropriate work may even help children 'learn to take responsibility”(Perusek). At the same time though, there is a limit to how much you can push a child to do such labor; especially if the type of labor was meant to be conducted by adults. This action is known as child labor, which is a very commonly known term but has had little meaning to society as time has passed; which is why this is such a crucial topic because there are children that could be facing extreme child labor just as there are children facing extreme hunger. In the paper titled, “Child Labor in the World Economy”, it explains how an Indonesian humanitarian group conducted a five-year investigation on the labor environment and the workers; as a result, they found that “…more than 75 percent of more than 8,000 employees in the industry are children, one-third of whom are under 14. The report puts the number at least 5,400 children…”(Perusek). Glenn Perusek prioritized this information because he believes that the economy or any aspect of economics plays a role in child labor. This claim is able to be supported through the previous piece of evidence; when we analyze the country of Indonesia we see very clearly that they are not an economically stable country. As a result of low economic stability in certain countries, it is ultimately causing an increase in child labor. Unfortunately, child labor is affecting daily life because it creates economic instability in a household, and it decreases economic growth and how we socially develop. Economic Instability in a Household Child labor is affecting daily life because of its correlation to the economic instability of a household. A household is just a term used to describe a family that dwells in the same place; evidently, your household is part of your daily life. Now, child labor comes into connection because a household consists of children that may be experiencing it; the reasons can vary but we will specifically focus on the economic side of things. For there to be a connection between these individual topics, we will examine how child labor is affecting the economic status of your household which is a major part of your daily life. Even though parents allow their children to take place in child labor as a means of survival, it will ultimately have negative implication in the long run. This is because their labor will have to compete with school and if school is not a priority then the chance of them becoming impoverd in the future increases. According to “The Economic Impact of Child Labour”, a paper written by Rossana Galli who does her research in Labor Economics and Development Economics, collaborates with the International Labor Organization and has a PhD in economics; she states “…children sent to work do not accumulate (or under-accumulate) human capital, missing the opportunity to enhance their productivity and future earnings capacity. This lowers the wage of their future…In this way poverty and child labour is passed on from generation to generation”(Galli 9). With that being said, it has also been brought up that since child labor is usually accepted by parents because of low economic status in the household, that it provides an extra revenue that allows the household to be economically stable. In the Journal of Economic Perspectives, “Child Labor In the Global Economy”, written by Eric V. Edmonds and Nina Pavcnik, it states that “…children only work when the family cannot meet its subsistence needs”(209). Eric V. Edmonds, who is a Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College, and Nina Pavcnik, who is the Niehaus Family Professor in International Studies for the Economics Department at Dartmouth College. Although parents allowing their children to perform child labor is wrong, they sometimes have no choice because of their families economic instability; and if this issue is not corrected, then it will become part of and affect their daily lives. Economic and Social Development Child labor may seem to have a weak correlation to economic and social development, but in fact it plays a role in decreasing economic and social development in which is very important in our daily lives. In the research study “The Economic Impact of Child Labor”, Rossana Galli states that, “Child labour has a negative long run impact on the well being of the family also through increased fertility. In fact child labour lowers the perceived cost of having children thereby boosting fertility. Larger family size in turn fuels the need for the income provided by children, generates child labour supply and impedes the education of the future generation of parents”(11). This piece of evidence states exactly what was said above by a credible person, nonetheless; to break this down, we see that the claim is that child labor is having a negative impact on a family by increasing fertility. This increased fertility will create a larger family which will eventually to more children experiencing child labor and education decreasing as a priority. This goes back to economic and social development because although there will be more revenue because of your children, we still have that factor of future impoverishment from generation to generation, as brought up before. Not only that but there is no guarantee that there will be enough revenue to take care of your household; which will lead to no economic development and a social status of a never ending impoverd cycle. Conclusion Child labor, as all agreed, is an issue that needs to be taken care of because of its economic effects in our daily lives and we need to be able to help these children that are facing extreme child labor. The problem though is the fact that even though some may use child labor for the wrong reasons, there are real families that have to allow their children to participate in this because, it is for a means of survival. As a result, if we just restrict child labor without looking ahead to what other conflicts it might cause, then we will make matters worse. As a solution, it should be proposed that we set up a program with the major banks in the world right now, that will first be provided in third world countries (they are the main source of child labor), where we allow a certain amount of money to be given to certain families facing serious economic instability, and can only be given a certain amount of times; which must be used to correct that families economic instability. The implications to this solution is that it will decrease child labor that is being done as a means of survival; it will also increase economic growth in the parent country because of the revenue and interest rates. The limitations of this is that this is a long term solution, meaning it could take a long period of time before it begins to show any results, and can be taken advantage of because it is money that is being given if not careful; but of course this solution is not perfect, but it is currently the best.

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

A Review of the Child Labour, Its Perspectives Essay

Introduction, the labour market perspective, human capital perspective, social responsibility perspective, child centered perspective, causes of child labour, child labour in brazil, child labour bangladesh, recommendations.

Bibliography

Child labour can be described any form of economic improving activity for children under the age of 12 depending on the individual state that compromises the child’s right to health, quality education and all work which would compromise the normal growth of the child.

The rights of the child under the United Nations convention on the rights of the child have not been described per se but it has left such description to particular states to come up with their own descriptions.

A review of the child labour and experience reveals four highly generalised lines of thinking that can be thought to amount to child labour.

This perspective is governed by the Trade unions, industrial and employers associations who maintain that it is the responsibility of the state to keep children out of the work place until they are of the recommended age of working. They are of the view that once a child is below the minimum age he should not be allowed at the work place their reason is that employment is for adults its pressure and stress are evils which the child can not withstand.

The labour market perspective view children as completely innocent and ignorant of the world and completely unable to recognise their own interests.

This perspective looks at the consequences of employing children in the overall career development including the capacity and potential of every child depending on the upbringing thus if a child is employed and unable to be educated it is detrimental to the child and if a child is to work instead of going to school it is then child labour. I consider where a child would work over school holidays as not to amount to child labour.

This perspective looks at child labour in the social context rather than economic development. It defines child labour as work which exploits, alienates or opposes children and separates them from society’s normal protection. Such exclusion result from government neglect of the poor and inadequate social compassion and responsibility.

This has its origin from section 3 of the convention on the rights of the child which states;

“In all action concerning children, the best interest of the child shall be a primary consideration”

The perspective considers what the child says and if the child is of the view that the work given to him amount to child labour then that is child labour.

The worst form of child labour includes;

• All forms of slaver e.g. sell and trafficking of children
• Procuring and offering children for prostitution
• Procuring and offering a child for illicit activities e.g. for the production and trafficking of drugs.
• Work which by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out,

Is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of the child.

Some of the demand factor for child labour includes;

• Socio economic status; the economic statue of a country if very low will encourage child labour.
• Pressure from culture where people from certain cultures do not value the rights of children and go to the extend of encouraging the child o get in activities that amount to child labour.
• Extreme source of poverty and an example would include Bangladesh where due to poverty children have been forced out of school to the working sector.
• Most countries in Africa due to the increase if AIDs most adults in the family have past away living children with no one to take care of them and this has led to such children becoming victims of child labour.
• Dysfunctional families have also due to neglect led to the increase of child labour.
• In countries like Somalia children have fallen prey of armed conflict where at an age as early as 8 years children have been trained and are competently able to use fire arms.

Statistics on child labour in Brazil has shown that despite the presence of laws that have been passed to curb child labour in the country, child labour is still so rampant in the country.

Brazil has over 5000 children who are working illegally and who are said to be between the ages of 7 and 12 years of age and receiving a salary of 25 reais which is about 22.30 pounds a month. The main cause of child labour in Brazil includes;

• Poverty; in the country half of the families cannot afford three meals a day and it has been due to this high rate of poverty that has encouraged children to get in to the working sector in search of livelihood.
• Unemployment; the high rate of unemployment has led to many children opting for any source of money which includes prostitution and drug trafficking.
• Economic self interest of the companies; many companies have realised what cheap and easy labour children can provide and have taken advantage of this and resorted to employing children.
• Social cultural beliefs have also discouraged children from attending school and instead encouraged them to look for easy opportunity of making money.

The degree of child labour in Bangladesh depicts the extend to which poverty can affect the rights of children. Due to lack of education and social protection children in Bangladesh have been left under the mercies of factory production and backstreet workshop employers who have come to realise that children are a cheap and flexible source of labour and have no one to fight for them.

According to UNICEF’s Asian child labour report[1999], there are forty industries in Bangladesh which use child labour often under hazardous conditions and with little regard to health and safety. In many cases children have been injured while involved in underground mining, in maritime work and while operating or cleaning machinery in motion. Child workers are regularly exposed to dangerous level of dust, glass, fumes, heat and noises.

In the country a number of children have been forced with hardly any salary or fixed salary the employer only promising a better job in future.

In such industries the majority of children are unable to write or read meaning they have not been to school or nor have they learned anything from home. Such children are thus not able to recognise their rights today as children and in future as adults.

At the place of work children are exposed to all sorts of violence which range from verbal abuses and physical abuses.

Children are also exposed to immoral adult behaviour which they risk copying into their adulthood.

Research has shown that at the age of 10 a child in the said country can completely be asked by his parents to leave school and look for work, to this parents have also taken advantage where they use children to work in order to feed the rest of the family.

Although there are laws that govern the rights of a child in such a country, such laws have merely become paper laws due to lack of enforcement and the government as much as it is aware of the in human activities that children have been subjected to it has taken no step whatsoever to ensure that such activities are done away with.

The international labour organisation has been of the view that to confront child labour governments must strive to introduce free and compulsory basic education so that instead of children staying at home due to school fees are encouraged to attend school.

Governments should offer some assistance where the family is too large and the parents are unable to meet the costs of the children. In china the government has discouraged overproduction by putting forth sanctions that ensure the rate of birth is low hence manageable to the family on the contrary in South Africa the government has come up with a child support fund that assist up to six children and this has discouraged high rate of birth.

Civic education; this entails educating the society on the effect of child labour and the rights of the child and mobilising the society to totally reject child labour and exploitation.

Another solution is to allow children to work in circumstances that do not violate their rights under this approach children should not be excluded from the work place but the working conditions should be improved to accommodate them.

Article: In Brazil, Working 10-Hour Days, a Kid Can Earn $1.50 a Week.

• EnGlobal Logistics Expanding into Bangladesh
• Industrial Engineering in Bangladesh and Belgium
• Comparison of Pakistan and Bangladesh
• Disability Discrimination Laws: Workers' Compensation
• Human Resource Management: US Age Discrimination Act
• Employment Law: Scenarios of Bringing a Civil Suit
• Child Labor From the United States Perspective
• Military "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy. Is It Legal?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, October 5). A Review of the Child Labour, Its Perspectives. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-review-of-the-child-labour-its-perspectives/

"A Review of the Child Labour, Its Perspectives." IvyPanda , 5 Oct. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/a-review-of-the-child-labour-its-perspectives/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'A Review of the Child Labour, Its Perspectives'. 5 October.

IvyPanda . 2021. "A Review of the Child Labour, Its Perspectives." October 5, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-review-of-the-child-labour-its-perspectives/.

1. IvyPanda . "A Review of the Child Labour, Its Perspectives." October 5, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-review-of-the-child-labour-its-perspectives/.

IvyPanda . "A Review of the Child Labour, Its Perspectives." October 5, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-review-of-the-child-labour-its-perspectives/.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

We use cookies to help us understand how you use our website so we can improve your experience. Visit our Website Privacy Statement or our cookies page .

Graduate research explores child digital labour on social media

Children are heavily contributing to a significant subsection of the Internet, not only as the target audience, but also as producers.

Dr Amanda Aggio

New research from recent graduate Dr Amanda Aggio examines the phenomenon of child digital labour, particularly on social media platforms.

Her findings show that while they play an important role within the internet's political economy, scarce attention has been paid to young children producing value on social media and the impact of their participation on their lives.

She studied children using social media platforms like YouTube to understand how the platform's business intentions and goals shape the way children watch videos and interact with the application. As part of her research, she interviewed children, parents and teachers. She also observed children using YouTube to explore how the platform influences their feelings and behaviour, both online and offline.

Dr Aggio’s interest in the topic rose from observing her own child's behaviour.

“ I witnessed my son's addiction to YouTube and his difficulty disengaging from screens when asked. As a curious human being, I wanted to understand what was capturing his attention and why he was so predisposed to being in front of the screen.”

Dr Aggio’s research is more than just a research topic for theoretical value. Her findings provide insight into a contemporary issue that has practical utility.

“My thesis is not just a theoretical construct, but a practical tool with high applicability in the real world. It is designed to be accessible, with findings that can be easily applied to children’s’ lives.

“The subject matter directly addresses the experiences of parents and teachers dealing with children and their interactions with digital technologies. For instance, one of my findings shows that children not only feel comfortable with YouTube, but they trust the platform and feel like it knows what is best for them.”

Her research demonstrates that children lack the capacity to detect harm online, as well as assisting caregivers in understanding why children behave in certain ways when the subject is YouTube.

Reflecting on her time studying a postgraduate degree, Dr Aggio says she experienced many highs and lows.

“It was a daily exercise of resilience. I came out emotionally and mentally stronger after completing my PhD. My personal experience was harder as English is not my first language. Doing any postgraduate study in your second language is not only about learning grammar and spelling but also immersing yourself in a new culture with different ways of approaching problems and concepts. Even though a PhD can be a challenging journey, I am proud of how I navigated my way through it, and I’m happy with how it propelled my personal growth.”

Since completing her PhD, she’s been working on an article that builds on her existing research, with the ambition to publish later in the year.

In addition to studying, Dr Aggio has been working as a Privacy Advisor for the last three years. She says her research has helped her to understand people’s right to privacy in the digital era and the obstacles in the way.

• [email protected]

Acing The Labour Law Audit: Your Roadmap To Excelling In Labour Law Compliance

• May 25, 2024

Introduction

Labour law audits play a vital role in ensuring that businesses comply with the legal and ethical standards related to employment practices. A labour law audit is more than a routine exercise; it is a pivotal mechanism to gauge a company’s commitment to fair, ethical, and lawful employment practices. These audits, often executed periodically, are conducted to evaluate a company’s adherence to various labour laws (both central and state laws), regulations, and industry standards that pertain to employee rights, workplace safety, wages, benefits, and more.

The goal is 2-fold:

To ensure that the company is adhering to the prevailing legal framework and

To create a work environment that upholds employee rights and well-being.

Facing a labour law audit can be a daunting prospect for employers, but with the right preparation and approach, it can be a manageable process.

In this article, we will explore the key steps and strategies to effectively face labour law audits.

Understand the Scope of Labour Laws

The first step in preparing for a labour law audit is to have a comprehensive understanding of the labour laws and regulations that apply to your industry and location(s). Different jurisdictions have varying regulations related to employment contracts, working hours, minimum wage, overtime, workplace safety, and more.

For example: As per the  Karnataka Shops & Commercial Establishments Act, 1961 , overtime hours shall not exceed 50 hours in a period of continuous 3 months, but as per  Maharashtra Shops & Establishments Act, 2017 , the hours of OT in a quarter is limited to 125 hours.

Thoroughly research the relevant laws and regulations to ensure that your company’s practices are in compliance.

Timeframe of Scrutiny: The Audit Period

The audit period is inherently time-bound, and ensuring its relevance is a crucial factor in guaranteeing effective compliance. By aligning the audit period with the specific operational context, organizations can accurately assess adherence to regulations, identify potential issues, and implement corrective measures within a meaningful timeframe.

Tracing the Audit Journey: A closer look at the Audit Timeline

In the realm of labour law audits, a well-defined and thoughtfully executed audit timeline is not a mere formality; it is a strategic cornerstone. By setting the timeline well in advance, organizations ensure effective stakeholder communication, accurate collation of documentations, and efficient audit execution. This proactive approach minimizes stress, enhances collaboration, and contributes to a thorough assessment of compliance.

It is important to set the audit timeline well in advance to ensure that there is enough time to communicate with the stakeholders to collate the right documentations.

Documenting Truth: Striking the balance between Accuracy and Fabrication

In a contemporary landscape where compliance with regulations and adherence to established standards hold utmost significance, the temptation to fabricate documents for the sake of compliance reporting can be alluring. However, the allure of shortcuts and deceit comes at a high cost – one that extends beyond immediate gains. Authenticity stands as an essential pillar of ethical conduct and transparency in compliance reporting, shunning the path of fabrication.

A kind note: Auditors can see through fabricated documentations.

Therefore, one of the key aspects of successfully navigating a labour law audit is maintaining accurate and up-to-date records. Keep detailed records of employee contracts, working hours, wages, overtime, leaves, benefits, and any other relevant information. These records serve as evidence of your company’s compliance and can help verify that you are treating your employees fairly and in accordance with the law.

Strategic Participation: Orchestrating the right personnel for Audits

Ensuring the participation of the appropriate individual in the audit process holds paramount importance. Relying solely on documentation might fall short of comprehending the holistic practices within the company. For instance, aspects pertaining to wages and financial intricacies are best navigated by the smart minds of the finance/payroll department. Similarly, the nuanced intricacies of policies find their expertise in the realm of HR personnel.

This allocation of responsibilities ensures two pivotal outcomes. Primarily, it guarantees that inquiries are directed to those possessing the most profound understanding of the subject matter, thereby facilitating accurate and informed responses. Secondly, is the cultivation of a sense of inclusivity and ownership among the designated personnel. Providing insights from someone intimately familiar with the company’s policies and operations is pivotal for auditors to accurately evaluate compliance.

Harmonious Collaboration: Partnering effectively with Auditors

When the official audit takes place, it’s essential to cooperate fully with the auditors. Provide them with access to the necessary documents, records, and personnel. Answer their questions truthfully and transparently. Demonstrating a willingness to work with the auditors can create a positive impression and make the process smoother.

Admitting Mistakes: A Sign of Strength

In the pursuit of a successful audit outcome, the courage to admit mistakes emerges as a mark of strength. Errors are inherent to human endeavours, and organizations are not immune to oversight or oversight. Rather than viewing mistakes as setbacks, embracing them as opportunities for growth can transform the audit experience. The admission of errors demonstrates a commitment to rectification and a dedication to upholding legal standards. Auditors often view such honesty favourably, acknowledging the organization’s integrity in the face of imperfection.

Confronting Non-Compliance: A proactive approach

In the event that the audit uncovers areas of non-compliance, take immediate action to rectify the issues. Collaborate with your legal counsel and human resources team to develop a plan for addressing any violations and ensuring that they do not recur in the future. This plan should encompass a well-defined roadmap that outlines the steps required to rectify the identified non-compliance issues. Collaborative brainstorming sessions can help identify root causes, enabling the formulation of effective solutions that address both immediate concerns and underlying systemic challenges.

Conclusion: Embracing Compliance as a mindset, beyond mere documentation

Compliance extends beyond paperwork and rules, embodying a mindset that shapes an organization’s ethos. It influences decision-making, employee treatment, and stakeholder interactions. It’s more than a checklist; it’s a transformative force driving ethical excellence. When embraced as a mindset, compliance breathes life into a company’s culture, integrating values and integrity into daily operations. This approach fosters accountability beyond legal boundaries, with employees committed to doing what’s right, even without oversight.

It is important to strike the right balance across People, Process, Procedures, Policies, and Technology. This synergy ensures proactive compliance and adherence to labour laws. Regular review and updating of policies and procedures further fortify the foundation for a successful audit outcome.

-Gayatri Manjunath,

Advocate & Senior Associate

Share This Post

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Need For Paternity Leave Legislation

Regulating gig work in india – a slippery slope, harmonising economic growth and social justice: india moving towards living wages, the importance of weekly offs under india’s labour laws.

• 080-46777220
• Legal Audit
• Labour Codes
• Investigations

Sign up for our latest news & articles. 

Archana Madan – POSH Specialist & Advocate

Archana Madan Kohli is an advocate with close to 15 years experience in in-house and law firm roles. At BCP Associates, she specialises in providing various services to clients under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (“POSH Act”). Archana is the External Member of the Internal Committee of multiple organizations across sectors and is well versed in handling POSH inquiries. She also handles POSH queries, including drafting and reviewing policies and assisting in setting up Internal Committees.

Archana is also a trainer, delivering specialised sessions for Managers and Senior Management, Employee General Awareness sessions for all employees and Internal Committee training. Apart from English, Archana is fluent in delivering training sessions in Hindi, and Punjabi.

Archana started her career with Bharti Infratel Limited moved on to Wipro Limited, Adecco India Private Limited, Cloudnine Hospitals, Virinchi Limited and Medicover Hospitals in different capacities.

Archana holds a Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) degree from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. She has earned her Post Graduate Diploma in Drafting, Negotiation and Enforcement of Contracts from NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad with distinction.

B. Chandrashekar Shetty - Advocate

Mr. Chandrashekar Shetty is a Senior Labour Law Compliance Auditor at BCP Associates and has audited multiple client companies across India. He is also a member of our senior legal advisory practice. Previously he has worked as Deputy Controller, Manager-Industrial Relations and Industrial Relations Officer in KPTCL, Bangalore for more than 30 years. Prior to this, he has dealt with Legal, Personnel and IR matters including Wage Settlements, Grievance Machinery, Manpower Study and Social Security Compliances for about 10 years. He is a Faculty member of Labour Law, HRD Centre, KPTCL Bangalore.

Mr. Shetty holds a B.Com. and L.L.B. degree, Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, Diploma in Public Relations from Bangalore University and PG Diploma in Industrial Relations & Personnel Management from Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan. He is enrolled as Advocate in Karnataka Bar Council and is a Govt. Arbitrator of Chit Funds in Karnataka.

S Venugopal Rao

S Venugopal Rao is an experienced labour law and service matters expert and is a member of the senior advisory team at BCP Associates. Having joined the chambers of Mr. B C Prabhakar in 2012, he is knowledgeable and well versed in multiple employment and labour law topics.

S Venugopal Rao holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science from Karnataka University, Dharwar and Bachelor of Law from Bangalore University. He enrolled as advocate in Karantaka State Bar Council in 1976. He joined the chamber of Sri. Kolachalam Srinivasa Rao a leading civil advocate. After practicing for 6 years at Ballari, he joined Orient Paper Mills, Orissa (of G P Birla Group). He was designated as Manager (Law) under the Factories Act in 1995. In 1999, he joined Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills Rajahmundry as Manager Legal and was subsequently elevated as Dy. General Manager (Legal). As Factory Manager & Legal Head, he oversaw  compliance of Factories Act and Rules there under towards safety, health and welfare, including c ompliance under Pollutions and Environmental laws and Explosives Act, etc. Additionally, he is well acquainted with  Environment Management System ISO 14001: 2004, Occupations, Health and Safety Series 18000:1999.  As Legal head in APPM he has briefed and appeared along with Senior Advocate before Appellate Authority constituted under Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act. He retired from the services of Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills in 2011.

As legal head he has handled important cases both in Labour and Civil and has experience in drafting and vetting Contracts, Agreements, Lease Agreement, Conveyance Deeds, , Affidavits and scrutiny of several legal and other documents, Preparing and settling Petitions, Appeals, Plaints, Written Statements, Rejoinders, Affidavits and Written Arguments etc. for submission/pleadings for various legal proceedings.

C K Devappa Gowda - Advocate

C.K. Devappa Gowda (CKD) is an Advocate and Labour Law expert. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from the University of Mysore and a Degree in Bachelor of Law from Bengaluru respectively. He also holds a Diploma in Social Service Administration from the National Institute of Social Science, Bengaluru. After completing his studies, he had enrolled as a Advocate and initially practiced in the Civil Code attached to the office of BCP. He then worked as Personnel Officer in Chemicals and Textile Manufacturing Industries for 5 years. Thereafter took up employment in one of the largest Public Sector Bank. He has worked in different parts of the country and has extensive experience in the cross country IR domain. The significant part of his service was at corporate level overseeing and implementing HR policies and practices and management of IR. He has been a member of personnel committee of Indian Bank Association.

After retirement from service, Mr. Gowda has been working with Mr. BC Prabhakar’s firm for the last 12 years. He has expertise in all areas of people management, drafting of documents relating to service matter including the settlements under the ID Act. He has dealt with all employment laws including appearance before the Courts, Tribunal and Authorities under the different Labour Laws. Mr. Gowda is one of the senior Labour Law experts at BCP Associates.

Srijatha Ghosh - POSH Specialist & Advocate

Srijata Ghosh serves as external member on the Internal Committee of several Companies across various sectors. She handles all kinds of POSH related matters including investigations and inquiries. She provides Training on Sexual Harassment across all verticals for Managers and Senior Management, General Awareness for all employees and Internal Committee members on the legislation (The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act, 2013). She also formulates Policies for Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace (“POSH”) and advises Companies on setting up of their Internal Committees. Srijata is involved in providing Legal Advisory services on POSH and other labour law matters for various clients.

In her previous experience, she has extensively dealt with End-to-End Contract Management, Due Diligence, POSH Compliances, Legal Advisory, etc. Srijata worked with Companies like Accenture India Private Limited, Quess Corp., Capgemini Business Services (India) Limited and Pramata Knowledge Solutions Private Limited. Srijata has handled varied legal issues including drafting, vetting and negotiation of contracts, drafting policies of various organizations. She has resolved issues relating to employment laws and has worked closely with the HR teams. She has provided legal advisory services to senior management. She was also associated with Kolkata High Court in counselling clients with legal matters such as Property, Due Diligence etc. Srijata has worked in an LPO Service Firm, Manthan Legal Services Private Limited for Legal Research, depositions, medical summaries, demand drafting etc.

Srijata completed her B.A.LL.B from M. S. Ramaiah College of Law, Bangalore University in 2009. Srijata is a member of the Karnataka Bar Council since 2010. She is also a member of the Gender Sensitivity Sub Committee of Karnataka Employer Association (KEA).

Caroline Lobo - POSH Specialist & Advocate

Caroline Lobo has been with BCP Associates for the past 2+ years. She has been handling matters and Inquiries related to the POSH Act including conducting inquiries and trainings/awareness programmes for Senior Management, employees as well as members of the Internal Committee on the POSH Legislation (The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (“Act”) to address Workplace Harassment of Women. She is a member of the Internal Committee for many varied companies and organisations and has reviewed and scrutinized numerous hearings and inquiries on matters relating to sexual harassment at workplace.

She has also handled matters relating to employer-employee related Enquiries, wherein she has reviewed and conducted hearings and enquired into the matters and has guided the Internal Committee and provided guidance in providing recommendations to the management. She is also a Member of the Gender Sensitivity Sub-committee of Karnataka Employer Association (KEA).

Prior to joining BCP Associates, Caroline has has a wide range of experience in corporate, commercial and contract law, mergers and acquisition and has undertaken drafting, vetting, negotiating and finalizing legal and commercial transactions. She started her career in litigation then moved onto the Corporate sector. In the span of 13 years, she has worked at Chambers of Advocate Jayashree Murali, Krishnamurthy and Co. Legal Consultants, Colt Technology Services and Oracle India Pvt. Ltd.  She always had a keen interest in Women and Child related issues. She has worked with Child Welfare Committee and NGOS’s. In addition, she has worked with Swasthi Health Resource and Centre, where she was the External member to the Internal Committee (IC). She worked closely with the committee in strategizing, planning, reviewing and implementing the assigned tasks, which included building material to raise awareness against sexual harassment at workplace. Further, she has been involved in conducting inquiries into matters related to sexual harassment at workplace.

Caroline earned her Law degree from University Law College, Bangalore, from where she graduated in the year 2005.

Manoj Kumar – Senior Associate

At BCP Associates, Manoj Kumar is involved in managing and conducting labour law compliance audits of principal employer and contractors. He is also involved in client co-ordination and conducting labour law training programs for vendors. He has conducted on-ground labour law audit for factories. Manoj also provides support in advising vendor clients on labour law queries. He completed B.A., LL.B. from BMS College of Law, Bangalore in 2016.

Rashmitha Venkatachalam Das - POSH Specialist & Advocate

Rashmitha Venkatachalam Das is an advocate with more than 15 years’ varied experience including both law firm and in-house roles. As an expert on BCP Associates’ POSH team, she specialises in providing a broad range of services under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (“POSH Act”). Currently, Rashmitha is the External Member of the Internal Committee of multiple organizations across sectors and has deep expertise in handling POSH inquiries. She also supports these organisations on a regular basis with queries related to sexual harassment, including drafting and reviewing POSH policies and assisting in setting up Internal Committees.

Rashmitha is also a seasoned POSH trainer, having delivered a multitude of specialised sessions for Managers and Senior Management, Employee General Awareness sessions, and focused training for Internal Committee members. In addition to English, she is fluent in Hindi and Kannada, ensuring meaningful training sessions and effective inquiries.

Having started her career at law firm of Krishnamurthy and Co, Rashmitha moved to in-house roles with Biocon Limited, Columbia Asia Hospitals Private Limited and Adecco India Private Limited. 

Rashmitha holds an LL.M. in Labour and Employment Laws from University Law College, Bangalore, graduating in the year 2018 with Two Gold Medals. She is also a Rank Holder at the University. She obtained her BA, LL.B. degree from Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies, Bangalore University in 2009. Rashmitha is registered with the Karnataka Bar Council since 2009 and is also a member of the Gender Sensitivity Sub Committee of Karnataka Employer Association (KEA), an industry association of employers with over 700 members.

Manisha Vidyadhar – Senior Associate

At BCP Associates, Manisha Vidyadhar is involved in managing and conducting labour law compliance audits of principal employer and contractors. She is also involved in client co-ordination and conducting labour law training programs for vendors. She has conducted on-ground labour law audit for factories. Manisha also provides support in advising vendor clients on labour law queries.  She completed B.A., LL.B. from BMS College of Law, Bangalore in 2016.

Amrutha Ananth – Principal Associate

At BCP Associates, Amrutha is a part of the Legal Advisory practice, Legal Audit practice and Labour Code Alignment Programme (LCAP). Amrutha specialises in Labour and Employment Laws and compliance having advised some of India’s leading companies for some of their most complex labour law matters.

Amrutha has more than seven years of experience in labour and employment law and has conducted several audits for both, principal employer and contractor for various leading IT/ITES companies, manufacturing sectors like pharma, automobile, construction and start-ups. She is actively involved in drafting and reviewing employment contracts, HR policies, Employee Handbook, show cause notice, etc. for various organizations spread across diverse sectors. As a part of the Labour Code Alignment Program, she assists companies in review and alignment of their existing wage and employment policy with the provisions of the Labour Codes.

Sunil Arya – Principle Associate

At BCP Associates, Sunil Arya is part of the labour and employment law advisory and HR Policy practice and is actively involved in drafting and reviewing of employment contracts, opinions, HR policies, employee handbook, show cause notice, etc. for various clients spread across diverse sectors. He conducts training on labour and employment laws. Sunil is also involved in labour law compliance audits of principal employer and contractors and has conducted on-ground labour law audit for factories. In addition, he is engaged in knowledge creation and management of the firm and keenly writes on developments in labour and employment laws.

Prior to joining BCP Associates, Sunil has 10 years of post-qualification experience in diversified portfolios of advisory, drafting, policy analysis and dispute in the domains of contracts, general civil matters, employment law, competition law and construction arbitration matters. Sunil started his career as a Law Researcher in Delhi High Court. He moved on to be part of regulatory analysis team of CIRC, a unit of CUTS International. In addition, Sunil has been part of legal team of Jindal India Thermal Power Limited. He has also taught competition law, tax law and investment law at VIPS, Delhi.

Sunil holds LL.M. from The Indian Law Institute, Delhi. He is First Rank Holder in his thesis. He completed B.A, L.L.B. (Hons.) from I.P. University, Delhi. He also holds First Rank in P.G. Diploma in Competition Policy and Laws from The National Law University, Delhi.

Chandrakala K A – Principle Associate

At BCP Associates, Chandrakala has 12+ years of experience in conducting and managing labour law compliance audits of principal employer and contractors. She is also involved in co-ordination with many clients. She has conducted on-ground labour law audit for factories. She also provides support in advising vendors on labour law queries. Chandrakala is actively involved in research and providing valuable inputs to the firm pertaining to updation in labour law audit function.

Chandrakala started her career in litigation in chamber of Sri. Ashok where she was involved in drafting, pleading and appearance before Karnataka High Courts and lower courts on the criminal side.

Chandrakala completed B.A in Arts from Kuvempu University, Shimoga in 2003 and LL.B. from Mangalore University in 2006.

Building regional coalitions to transform talent and modernize manufacturing in Western New York

Subscribe to the brookings metro update, lavea brachman and lavea brachman visiting fellow - brookings metro @laveabrachman mayu takeuchi mayu takeuchi research assistant - brookings metro.

May 21, 2024

• 48 min read

The one-minute version of this case study

• Western New York’s advanced manufacturing cluster is gaining traction. Anchored by the Rust Belt city of Buffalo, the Western New York (WNY) region has a long history in steel and other industrial manufacturing. In 2012, the state launched the Buffalo Billion—a billion-dollar investment to jump-start innovation and economic and workforce development across WNY. Today, advanced manufacturing presents a key opportunity for quality job growth, with some sub-sectors expected to grow by more than 20% between 2022 and 2032—far outpacing the rest of the nation.
• The region’s core challenge—and opportunity—is reaching untapped talent. While the number of advanced manufacturing and other tech-enabled jobs is growing rapidly in WNY, many are going unfilled. Like other places across the nation, an aging workforce and looming retirement cliffs threaten WNY’s manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, the region’s urban-rural divide across counties, as well as patterns of racial segregation and disinvestment within counties, leave thousands without access to these opportunities.
• The region’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) coalition and a related coalition focused on talent development are helping WNY address both local and regional inequities. The Western New York Advanced Manufacturing coalition’s $25 million BBBRC strategy aims to grow advanced manufacturing cluster opportunities on Buffalo’s East Side, while the WNY Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition focuses on workforce development and encompasses both the advanced manufacturing and tech sectors. Both coalitions are designed to counter historical patterns of concentrated disinvestment and extend inclusive growth opportunities to more rural and remote areas across WNY’s Southern Tier.
• Federal funding is just one piece of a longer-term regional strategy. This case study explores the design and implementation of BBBRC WNY Advanced Manufacturing coalition programs (the expansion of short-term job trainings into low-income rural areas, technology adoption support for small and midsized manufacturers, and rehabilitation of industrial buildings), as well as the synergistic $29 million WNY Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition, funded by the state and philanthropy. This case study offers lessons about how regional partners are leveraging the combination of federal, state, and philanthropic funding to execute a broader regional strategy.

Before reading this case study: What is the Build Back Better Regional Challenge?

This brief overview of the program provides useful context before reading this case study.

In July 2021, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) launched the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) through a Notice of Funding Opportunity that outlined a two-phase competition. 1 Through its Phase 1 activities, the EDA issued an open call for concept proposals that outlined a high-level vision for a “transformational economic development strategy.” The thesis was that regions would identify an industry cluster opportunity; design “3-8 tightly aligned projects” to support that cluster; build a coalition to “integrate cluster development efforts across a diverse array of communities and stakeholders”; and ensure that these collective efforts advance equity by supporting economically disadvantaged communities. 2

In Phase 1, 529 coalitions submitted high-level concept proposals that outlined a vision for the cluster, a high-level description of potential projects, and the key institutions involved in the coalition. After receiving Phase 1 concept proposals, the EDA undertook two months of review to determine which coalitions would be awarded $500,000 technical assistance grants and invited to apply for Phase 2 funding. Those resources enabled a hyper-intensive planning sprint between December 2021 and March 2022. During this period, each of the 60 finalist coalitions expanded their five-page concept proposal into an overview narrative and project proposals that outlined their approach, key assets and institutions, the portfolio of projects and their expected outcomes, and matching resources to complement the EDA grant.

Ultimately, the 60 coalitions submitted funding requests well beyond the BBBRC’s $1 billion allocation. The average Phase 2 funding request submitted to the EDA was approximately $75 million, while the average award amount available in the competition budget was approximately $50 million. Given this gap, in May 2022, all 60 applicants were offered the opportunity to prioritize funding through a budget request reduction process after applications were received. Then, an Investment Review Committee (IRC) assessed all completed applications and made recommendations. In some cases, the EDA ultimately selected a subset of component projects for funding or funded component projects at a reduced level, requiring applicants to modify projects during the award process. In September 2022, the EDA selected 21 of the 60 coalitions for implementation awards, ranging in size from $25 million to $65 million, to be spent over a five-year period.

Historical context: Buffalo’s rise and decline as the ‘Gateway to the West’

Buffalo, N.Y. is a quintessential legacy city that originally gained prominence in the mid-1800s as the western terminus of the Erie Canal, which opened in 1825. During this time, Buffalo earned its title as the “ Queen City of the Great Lakes ” and became the world’s fourth-largest port . Also called the “ Gateway to the West ,” Buffalo functioned as a critical trans-shipment point between lake vessels and canal boats (and later to railroad cars). As regional rail access grew, the city became a center of grain distribution , and it maintains its status today as the second-largest city in New York .

At its height in the first few decades of the 20th century, Buffalo and its surrounding area were involved in a combination of railroad commerce, basic steel production and fabrication, automobile production, aircraft/aerospace design and production, shipping, and grain storage. As a center of industrial growth, Buffalo also attracted world-class architects—still evident today with the existence of America’s oldest coordinated system of public parks and parkways , which winds its way throughout the city. Owing to this industry growth, Buffalo experienced a population boom in the 1940s and 1950s —a significant portion of which consisted of African Americans migrating from the rural South in search of jobs. However, opportunities were limited by racial, economic, and political discrimination, including local lenders and federal agents instituting redlining, which funneled government-backed mortgages to white neighborhoods and away from neighborhoods with residents of color—ultimately curtailing wealth-building opportunities across the city.

Buffalo’s economic role evolved as technology and transportation shifted. Rail became increasingly efficient, and new transportation systems reduced the importance of the Erie Canal. In 1959, the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway established a direct connection between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean—effectively eliminating the need to pass through Buffalo at all. As the city’s geographic advantage waned, the majority of Buffalo’s heavy industrial establishments closed down , while others migrated from the downtown core to the suburbs or relocated to parts of the U.S. South and abroad.

We have a legacy of manufacturing in our region—a strong history in it. I think it remains an important part of our economy. Our economy shifted pretty drastically with the closing of Bethlehem Steel and places like that…If you’re overly dependent on any one piece of the economy, that’s what sort of crushed us after the closing of Bethlehem Steel. So many jobs went with that. Laura Quebral, Center for Regional Strategies

Buffalo’s population peaked in 1950, when it was the 15th-largest city in the U.S. It then entered a long period of job loss and sustained economic decline. Investments in regional expressways—including the Niagara Thruway and the Scajaquada and Kensington expressways , which at the time were considered necessary investments to maintain the city’s competitiveness—displaced thousands of residents while the remaining central city infrastructure was left to crumble. These expressways also enabled “white flight” from the city for those who could afford to commute , resulting in a more economically and racially segregated region.

Today, Buffalo and the broader WNY region continue to grapple with high levels of poverty and geographic segregation, with notable disparities both within and across WNY counties. First, while 13% of Erie County residents are living in poverty, the city of Buffalo has a poverty rate of 27%— one of the highest in the nation. That poverty is concentrated in the city’s East Side, with more than half of individuals living in or near poverty. This concentration of poverty is highly racialized; over 85% of the city’s Black residents live on the East Side, owing to a history of redlining and other racially discriminatory government and business policies and practices that deliberately excluded the East Side and its predominantly Black neighborhoods from home loans, access to capital, and broader economic investments.

But that is not the region’s only challenge: WNY is also characterized by a sharp urban-rural divide. The region’s Southern Tier—Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties—historically has been disconnected from Buffalo’s economic ecosystem. With many new investment and attraction efforts focused on the city of Buffalo and Erie County, Jamestown and other rural areas in the Southern Tier have not traditionally been part of regional development efforts. “Sometimes, when bigger things happen in the Buffalo area, we get overlooked,” said Holger Ekanger, vice president for workforce development at Jamestown Community College.

Investing in Western New York’s economic future

By the early 2010s, it was clear that WNY needed a major intervention to both strengthen the region’s advantages in industries creating quality jobs and address decades of rising economic and racial inequality. Regional assessments have revealed that advanced manufacturing and technology sectors are key sources of quality job growth. The advanced manufacturing sector remains a core driver of the regional economy, offering higher-paying career pathways even for workers without degrees. Manufacturing jobs in WNY are expected to grow 12% over the next decade. Meeting or exceeding this trajectory, however, requires that the region address various challenges the sector faces: a talent pipeline threatened by an aging workforce and significant racial disparities; declining employment at younger manufacturing firms; and aging factory facilities and infrastructure. The tech sector, while more nascent than manufacturing, is projected to grow five times as fast as the rest of the WNY economy over the next decade. Yet half of all tech jobs in WNY are currently going unfilled, suggesting training programs can help fill this gap. Importantly, there are growing synergies between tech and manufacturing, with a recent study concluding that manufacturing is one of the region’s largest tech-enabled sectors.

We just know that we’ll fall behind if we don’t think about tech as part of our economy. It is cross-cutting across the sectors, and we will fall behind if we can’t fill those jobs. And again, there’s a lot of overlap between manufacturing and tech, so we really wanted to be thoughtful about the future, thinking about where manufacturing is headed. Laura Quebral, Center for Regional Strategies

Understanding these trend lines, the state of New York—in tandem with non-governmental actors—has made considerable investments in the WNY economy over the past decade. The most prominent of these efforts—the Buffalo Billion —was launched in 2012 by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo. Led by Empire State Development (ESD), the state’s economic agency, the Buffalo Billion strategy has resulted in $1.5 billion in new public investment since 2012 in service of a regional economic development strategy .

The Buffalo Billion funded multiple new intermediaries intended to collectively jump-start industry growth and workforce development in WNY, including: Northland Workforce Training Center (workforce training); 43North (startup accelerator); Launch NY (venture capital); and Buffalo Manufacturing Works (business innovation center). These investments required new collaborative structures, including the formation of the WNY Regional Economic Development Council, which covers the five-county region. It also required new operational capacity, with the University at Buffalo Regional Institute (UBRI) offering project management support across approximately 40 initiatives and over 100 individual projects .

Buffalo Billion is a regional strategy, but it did target major investments in the East Side in an attempt to strengthen industrial competitiveness and extend opportunity to historically excluded communities. The Northland Workforce Training Center (NWTC) and Buffalo Manufacturing Works (BMW), for example, both opened in revitalized East Side buildings, with the hope that their physical location combined with intentional community outreach could connect neighborhood residents to training and job opportunities. NWTC and BMW are part of a uniquely comprehensive government-philanthropic collaboration called East Side Avenues , which is also supporting small business improvements, redeveloping key mixed-use properties, promoting historic preservation, reinvigorating fundamental anchors, and building capacity for nonprofit partners to implement this critical work.

By 2021, this economic approach—one that seizes emerging industry opportunities at a regional scale and addresses concentrated poverty and racial inequality at a neighborhood scale—was an important foundation for assessing the relevance of the BBBRC.

Coalition formation

This section explores how leaders from across the five-county WNY region came together to form two coalitions with several overlapping organizations: 1) the EDA-funded Western New York Advanced Manufacturing (WNYAM) coalition, comprised of a portfolio of BBBRC projects; and 2) the Western New York Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition (WNY MTW Coalition), a state and philanthropic initiative founded on years of regional collaboration supporting a wide range of programmatic and systemwide investments in workforce development. How these two coalitions emerged will be of interest to civic leaders, state policymakers, and philanthropic investors in other regions that are considering how state and philanthropic funding can complement federal place-based strategies.

Aligning a coalition around a project portfolio

The WNYAM coalition’s eventual selection of the advanced manufacturing sector can be traced to similar factors and data analysis that informed the Buffalo Billion investments. Even through the sector’s challenges during the late 20th century, manufacturing remains a central driver of WNY’s innovation and exports. Yet manufacturing in the region is shifting to become more “advanced,” meaning more reliant on digital technologies such as robotics, advanced materials, and complex software systems. As these technologies become integrated across small and midsized manufacturers (SMMs), employment in these companies requires new technical skills. Given these emerging changes, the region’s BBBRC proposal sought to harness the opportunity to shift the perception of manufacturing—particularly in the eyes of younger people—from “dark and dirty” to a new reality involving higher-quality, tech-related jobs. Indeed, the average annual earnings in advanced manufacturing is over $70,000, which is 25% more than the average job in WNY.

The BBBRC Phase 1 application allowed the major architects of the Buffalo Billion strategy—UBRI and ESD—an opportunity to address the emerging challenges and opportunities in advanced manufacturing. Drawing from the Buffalo Billion strategy, the coalition proposed seven projects along three investment pillars: innovation, workforce, and infrastructure and governance (* indicates a project received implementation funding).

• Small and midsized manufacturer (SMM) technology program*: Buffalo Manufacturing Works (BMW), an advanced manufacturing innovation center operated by EWI , would promote technology adoption at SMMs.
• Hardware Startup Acceleration: University at Buffalo Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships (UB BEP) would create a three-stage hardware accelerator program to support potential hardware founders.
• Goodskills Career Builder*: Goodwill of Western New York would expand recruitment for Goodskills Career Builder, an existing four-week workforce training program, into low-income rural areas outside of Erie County.
• WNY Clean Energy Infrastructure and Manufacturing Regional Partnership: Northland Workforce Training Center would expand its community-centered workforce training model to Jamestown and Niagara.
• Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC) Phase 3*: BUDC would redevelop three significant industrial buildings, complete a clean energy microgrid, and enhance infrastructure to create leasable space for local manufacturers and workforce training opportunities.
• Accelerating Local Manufacturing Expansions: Invest Buffalo Niagara would address demand for developable manufacturing space to grow local SMMs.
• Project Implementation Team: ESD’s regional office and the WNY Regional Economic Development Council, in partnership with UBRI, would manage coordination, collaboration, and communication to ensure strong cohesion across the coalition and maintain industry engagement as well as core principles of equity and sustainability.

This project portfolio sought to address racial and geographic inequities across the region. Within the city of Buffalo, the equity strategy focused on addressing racial and economic disparities—primarily on the East Side—through additional investments in innovation, workforce development, and infrastructure. WNYAM also sought to ameliorate rural poverty and overcome heightened barriers to workforce participation due to transportation, limited availability and/or access to social services, and structural barriers. While initially focused on the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST) and NWTC advocated that the coalition include projects from the three counties (Chautauqua, Allegany, Cattaraugus) in the rural Southern Tier.

Regional stakeholders viewed the BBBRC as a key opportunity to expand their initiatives and accelerate progress toward their organizational and regional goals. Paul Tronolone, vice president of policy and planning at ESD, described the BBBRC as “big programs…that allow us to do things that we started.” Henry Cialone, president and CEO of EWI (the operating entity for BMW), agreed, calling the BBBRC “jet fuel to get us faster where we were going anyway.”

With this seven-project approach, WNYAM was selected as one of the BBBRC’s 60 Phase 2 finalists (out of 529 coalitions competing for this designation in Phase 1). Since Phase 2 funding requests exceeded the BBBRC’s available resources, the EDA gave all Phase 2 finalists, including WNYAM, the opportunity to reduce their budgets. The group submitted a revised proposal for all seven projects, and the Investment Review Committee selected three for implementation awards, for a total award of $25 million:

• Innovation: Building on BMW’s existing “ Shift 2.0 ” initiative to advance the region’s small and midsized manufacturers toward an Industry 4.0 ecosystem—from technology exploration and education to actual implementation—BMW’s SMM technology program would provide resources and support for technology adoption at SMMs through three parallel sets of initiatives. First, BMW would continue building a networked cohort of SMMs advancing Industry 4.0; BMW would conduct business assessments and provide SMMs with access to regular, curated networking and learning opportunities. Second, BMW would work directly with firms to support their adoption of collaborative robots (“cobots”), which are designed to complement and augment human workers’ capabilities. Third, BMW would continue offering hands-on, one- and five-day training workshops to upskill workers from the region’s SMMs.
• Workforce: Goodskills Career Builder is a four-week job training program run by Goodwill of Western New York, based in Buffalo. Goodskills offers hands-on training in advanced manufacturing and technology, support in navigating wraparound services, and job placement services—all at no cost to participants and open to any adult in Erie County who has a high school diploma or GED. Upon graduation, Goodskills participants receive $500 for work completed during the hands-on training as well as access to career coaching for three years. With BBBRC funding, Goodwill would expand Goodskills at an extension site in Jamestown, in collaboration with Jamestown Community College, to reach underemployed residents from more rural areas in WNY.
• Infrastructure: BUDC’s Phase 3 construction initiatives are intended to create supportive infrastructure for new jobs and businesses and provide low-cost electricity to promote equitable development and reinvestment in a historically disinvested community. These projects are tied into Buffalo’s East Side Avenues redevelopment effort and co-located with NWTC, in another rehabilitated manufacturing building on the Northland Corridor in Buffalo.

Embedding equity in the strategy

Even though the EDA could not the fund the entirety of the project portfolio, equity remains a critical through-line in the revised WNYAM strategy. BUDC is overseeing construction of buildings with energy benefits for East Side residents, although additional public awareness campaigns will be needed to maximize those benefits. Additionally, a tension sometimes exists between the state’s vision for the area (manufacturing jobs hub) and residents’ desire for community-serving amenities (grocery stores, parks, etc.). The BMW strategy focuses on equity gains over the long term across the region through its co-location with NWTC and efforts to build a deeper talent pipeline for historically underrepresented populations, which will require expanding technology education, background, knowledge, and training opportunities. Meanwhile, Goodskills’ extension into Jamestown is designed to expand training and quality job opportunities to residents in more rural, remote areas within the region.

Leveraging a major state and philanthropic investment in a new regional workforce development coalition

The history of collaboration among the organizations involved in WNYAM—ESD, UBRI, and others—was a vital foundation in responding to the BBBRC. This baseline proved critical as WNY leaders considered how to finance a broader talent development effort to support some of the unfunded components of the original BBBRC strategy and extend the regional workforce strategy. Paul Tronolone of ESD acknowledged some early challenges in coalition-building: “[There can be] lots of factions in workforce development, all vying for the same pool…Let’s not throw this out just because the feds didn’t fund it. That happens all the time…Let’s not throw out this really good collaboration. Let’s see how we can fund this internally.”

UBRI worked closely with the original WNYAM members (funded and unfunded) to continue championing unfunded projects and acquire funding for the group to stay together. Ground rules were set for coalition members so that those in the WNYAM coalition would agree to go after new funding together. One original BBBRC coalition member that decided to leave the workforce coalition and pursue its own sources of funding ultimately was not successful. So, even though the EDA did not fund the governance project, leaders at ESD and UBRI built on a strong foundation of trust, communication, and a shared understanding of regional economic priorities. Karen Utz, ESD’s WNY regional director, observed they were “adamant we…find additional funding” and keep the BBBRC coalition together, recognizing it as a way to “maximize our productivity” and address regional workforce challenges—not just with the usual employer-trainer dynamic, but also intermediaries that are implementing and collaborating among multiple partners.

This approach helped facilitate and result in formation of the Western New York Manufacturing and Tech Workforce Coalition (WNY MTW)—supported at a level totaling $29 million, funded by a combination of philanthropy (the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation) and state dollars. (Full disclosure: The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation provides financial support to Brookings Metro.)

How did the WNY MTW Coalition come together? Building on the BBBRC and the EDA Good Jobs Challenge’s set of proposed regional workforce projects, the WNY MTW Coalition significantly expanded the projects to curate an integrated workforce development strategy for the advanced manufacturing and tech sectors. Importantly, the WNY MTW Coalition not only focuses on these two key sectors, but its design also strategically interweaves workforce training resources and opportunities between them—recognizing important and growing synergies between tech and manufacturing.

Several key features in WNY paved the way for emergence of this coalition. First was a foundation of interconnected, intentional economic and workforce development initiatives seeded primarily by prior state investments—particularly Buffalo Billion—meant to jump-start economic growth across the region. Second was a set of networked leaders, including UBRI and NWTC, growing out of these state investments and focusing on inclusive growth. Third was the project-ready implementers generated through the BBBRC and the Good Jobs Challenge applications. Finally, significant state and philanthropic investments provided seed money to curate a longer-term, strategic, regional approach.

The WNY MTW Coalition’s structure —with workforce training entities that serve different target populations in multiple cities and counties across the region—incorporated innovative strategies aimed at transforming the workforce ecosystem that, together, make it nationally distinct in five key ways:

• Leveraging organizational specialization: Matching organizational strengths to target populations and geographies

A private sector leader observed that prior to the BBBRC initiative and formation of these two WNY coalitions, the region was “resource rich, but process poor” in terms of regional collaboration and “longer-term process change.” Thus, key to reducing redundancies, the WNY MTW Coalition is curated such that each member plays a unique role tailored to its audience. Some organizations provide localized services, such as the county workforce investment boards and the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology, which provides after-school learning to youth in arts and technology and adult workforce development programs. Others operate regionally, including Dream It Do It (whose mission is to proactively respond to the workforce challenges that manufacturers face by increasing the skilled workforce pipeline entering manufacturing careers) and Goodwill of WNY. Some are community-facing, whereas others primarily engage business partners. Having the business sector at the table (e.g., MAST) as part of the coalition is critical to reflect the perspectives of manufacturers from the Southern Tier.

As one workforce partner explained, the WNY MTW Coalition enables the targeted expansion and diversification of services; for example, directing money to “gap areas” in places that need greater accessibility given their limited transportation options. NWTC’s original plan had been to work with Jamestown Community College, Niagara County Community College, and Goodwill of WNY to embed the Northland model (unfunded under the BBBRC). Instead, it is pursuing the strategy focused on Jamestown Community College at a smaller scale. Now, alongside the BBBRC-funded Goodwill project, the WNY MTW Coalition is positioned to drive new regional workforce efforts.

• Identification of system gaps: Smart diagnosis and gap-filling for target audiences

Additionally, the educational institutions and training providers in the WNY MTW Coalition each offer tailored resources for their target audiences, whether that is middle and high school students, underemployed adult populations, or workers looking to upskill. These capacities to provide tailored trainings to students across the region—especially underserved communities in rural and urban areas, which face unique local challenges—will be critical in meeting the region’s broader goals of creating and expanding opportunities for upward mobility. The two major coalition intermediaries, TechBuffalo and NWTC, provide the “glue” for the regional workforce ecosystem due to their ability to deploy and execute at scale, which is also critical to the coalition’s success, especially in reaching out to historically excluded communities in rural and urban areas.

• Governance and leadership

A key and distinctive characteristic of the WNY MTW Coalition is its deliberate and strategic investment in a cohesive leadership and governance structure. This governance structure reinforces the coalition’s dual sector approach. Before the coalition, the region’s tech cluster was anchored by the intermediary TechBuffalo, while NWTC functioned as an intermediary for the advanced manufacturing cluster. Accordingly, tech and advanced manufacturing operated as two parallel training systems. However, this coalition elevates NWTC President and CEO Stephen Tucker to the role of coalition lead, overseeing workforce development strategy for both the tech and advanced manufacturing sectors, with dedicated resources for additional staffing support. This essentially combines the two sectors into one joint workforce coalition system under Tucker’s leadership.

• Monitoring and evaluation

The WNY MTW Coalition is using data-sharing and tracking of talent pipelines to promote longer-term planning, improve workforce development outcomes, and hold organizations accountable for outcomes through a data-sharing agreement it is developing with the New York State Department of Labor, which will track workforce training recipients’ wages, employment, industry/employer, and retention for at least three years. Center for Regional Strategies (CRS) and UBRI will also be reporting outcomes at both the project and coalition level, disaggregated by race/ethnicity and ZIP code, with a focus on high-poverty areas. This effort hinges on sustained funding, especially because a time lag exists between when someone graduates from a program, gets a job, and when the data become available.

While this is a new system that may pose challenges for nonprofits that have less capacity and experience in working with data, UBRI is prepared to provide technical assistance, and this data-tracking and data-sharing effort is critical for supporting accountability to ensure that the WNY MTW Coalition is indeed advancing an inclusive workforce. ESD is looking to expand this robust data-sharing and outcome-tracking model across the state and across sectors—viewing the system as a way to demonstrate the strength of collaborative, data-informed efforts. Another example of utilizing data to improve outcomes occurring at the project level between members of the WNY MTW Coalition is the data-sharing agreement that MAST and Dream It Do It have with Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Erie 2 (one of the state-legislated school districts providing shared educational programs and services outside of the state’s five large urban districts). This data-sharing agreement, forged after eight months of negotiations, is tracking student progress and engagement with manufacturing sector trainings and programming; it has already tracked 75,000 interactions with students, teachers, counselors, and other partners.

• Regional scale: Uniquely addressing local inequities and the urban-rural divide

The WNY MTW Coalition aims to bolster regional equity, which means closing geographic, racial, and economic divides both within the city of Buffalo and across the WNY region. The focus is on creating and expanding opportunities for career and upward mobility in both urban and rural underserved areas, building on the BBBRC’s equity strategies but with emphasis on geographic inclusion and rural-urban linkages. NWTC, which was a primary equity anchor in the original BBBRC strategy but then was unfunded, is now funded as a central player in the WNY MTW Coalition. Karen Utz, ESD’s WNY regional director, noted that the “equity component was strategically placed” in every application through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development (OSWD). Additionally, Stephen Tucker, president and CEO of NWTC, recognized that though the coalition spans the region, “each area has its own challenges and will need locally tailored strategies to reach the underemployed individuals as well as marginalized populations, such as people of color and women.”

Implementing the strategy

WNYAM’s three pillars—workforce, infrastructure, and innovation—and their associated projects are gaining traction. Meanwhile, the WNY MTW Coalition, whose launch is slated for fall 2024, continues to finalize implementation plans. Even as the WNYAM projects are still in the early stages of execution, embedding them within three WNY nonprofit intermediaries—BMW, Goodwill, and BUDC, each with track records of strong leadership and effective oversight—holds promise for the future successful implementation of the BBBRC strategy. In this early stage, all three pillars retain robust equity goals that will continue to require close scrutiny and oversight.

Workforce: The Goodskills Career Builder program is connecting rural populations to in-demand jobs  

The BBBRC-funded extension site for the Goodwill training program in the Southern Tier is an important and novel regional workforce training outpost, unique for its focus on training the rural population with ties back to the city of Buffalo. The program is showing early signs of success and is likely to be further enhanced as the WNY MTW Coalition gets fully underway. At the same time, both coalitions must continue to keep equity at the forefront of their implementation efforts for both rural and urban populations.

More specifically, using BBBRC funding, Goodwill of WNY has launched its Goodskills Career Builder training program at an extension site outside Buffalo in Jamestown (part of Chautauqua County) in partnership with Jamestown Community College (JCC). This initiative was also designed to address challenges of regional fragmentation. To foster a new sense of regional cohesiveness, Goodwill of WNY conducted targeted hiring and recruitment efforts to engage people in those rural communities by having “boots on the ground”—e.g., attending community events, participating in local resource fairs, and building personal relationships with Jamestown leaders. Thomas Ulbrich, president and CEO of Goodwill of WNY, noted that “little in-roads like that have seemed to go a long way.”

In addition to boosting community outreach, Goodwill’s early work in Jamestown has begun improving access and opportunity for residents. The strengthened partnership between Goodwill and JCC has been a notable highlight with mutual benefits. On the ground, JCC is providing Goodwill with classroom and office space for Goodskills, its four-week targeted skills training and job placement program. JCC is leveraging its relationships to help Goodwill connect with more local employers in the Jamestown area. In return, Goodwill’s community engagement and recruitment model is beginning to expand JCC’s reach and further improve residents’ awareness about career opportunities in advanced manufacturing. This expands on a highly successful eight- to 10-week JCC training program, with offerings across advanced manufacturing specializations, such as machining, welding, and automation systems. The program has a 90% completion rate, owing to a robust intake process that assesses students’ circumstances and provides wraparound supports.

Co-location of Goodskills and JCC’s own job certification programs has further facilitated emerging pipelines, with some Goodskills graduates going on to be some of JCC’s most engaged students. Although Goodskills is designed as a standalone program, it’s resulting in job placements with added opportunities for continued education that can unlock more pathways to higher-paying jobs.

Equity challenges in implementation

Early implementation of the Goodskills program has not been without its challenges, particularly in identifying the right support and wraparound services. The process of expanding workforce development initiatives in the region’s more rural areas requires targeted resources to meet workers’ unique needs. For example, in Chautauqua County, public transportation is “almost nonexistent” according to Ulbrich, who emphasized that job access is “really minimized significantly if you don’t own a car.” Even for qualified workers and capable students, job and training options become severely limited simply because they have no way of getting to them in the first place. As one potential remedy, training providers are discussing the possibility of implementing a “last-mile program,” which could offer ride-sharing access for the final stretch between the workplace or training site and the nearest bus stop.

Transportation is just one example of these communities’ needs. Strategic investments in wraparound services—such as child care, financial literacy training, and career advising—will be needed to address historical and systemic barriers that workers can and have faced outside the workplace. Goodskills offers three years of wraparound services after graduation, but many trainees are not taking full advantage of these services. Ulbrich speculated that “people leave on a high note,” so they may feel “embarrassed” to reach back out for additional support services when they hit a rough patch. The region would benefit from improved linkages and smoother handoffs between wraparound services targeting students and those available for employees, at the point at which students graduate from training programs and transition to jobs.

It is not only students, but also employers that may face barriers to accessing the benefits of these training programs. Often, smaller firms do not have adequate human resources and operational capacities to engage with training providers and recruit the way larger firms can. Building out this capacity will be crucial as Goodwill aims to support not just the largest companies in the region, but also small businesses and the rest of the employer community.

Goodwill of WNY’s Goodskills Career Builder program demonstrates the value of a model that blends local institutional strengths and relationships with a regional outreach and recruitment strategy. Early returns for this collaborative model show that it is addressing local workforce training needs while also yielding greater regional cohesion—both of which are projected to be augmented when the WNY MTW Coalition is fully online in fall 2024. Still, additional scaffolding and wraparound supports will be necessary to maximize the equity outcomes.

Infrastructure: Buffalo Urban Development Corporation is rehabilitating East Side buildings

Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC) is revitalizing three buildings to provide the necessary infrastructure for advanced manufacturing companies to site jobs on the city’s East Side. The first building, which will house up to two industrial tenants, is proceeding on schedule. However, while these projects center equity and inclusive workforce development, at this stage, challenges with community processes and perceptions continue to require attention.

Making progress on infrastructure construction projects

BUDC has secured a design team for the Phase 3 building and announced it to the East Side neighborhood around NWTC. On top of funding from the BBBRC grant, the project has also received $55 million of state/ESD investment included in the 2022 state budget—part of which ($1.8 million) serves as the BBBRC match, with the rest going to additional projects on BUDC’s Northland campus. At this stage, BUDC is focused on seeing BBBRC projects to completion, due to the timeframe pressures to spend down BBBRC funds, and thus will not embark on state-funded projects until later. BUDC has devoted efforts to value engineering—assessing and adjusting plans based on what the commercial market wants in an industrial plan—and revising plans to reduce costs and make sure the project is financially feasible. Building plans will be reviewed by regulatory boards, with plans to go out to bid before March 2024.

The challenge of community engagement

The primary challenge around the infrastructure pillar is communication and setting expectations with a community interested in seeing immediate beneficial changes to their neighborhood. It was also a challenge that the BBBRC awards were made as community engagement and communication were normalizing, following a long stretch of little or no community activities during the pandemic. BUDC interacts regularly with the Northland Corridor Advisory Committee, which is comprised of community representatives surrounding Northland and other parts of the East Side to discuss the phasing of the infrastructure and concerns about community benefits. According to conversations that NWTC President and CEO Stephen Tucker had with East Side residents living near Northland, many feel that they are “still in the dark” about remediation initiatives. Others are “not satisfied” with the slow pace of visible progress and question why existing buildings are vacant and why they’re not seeing results. “There have to be more updates—that’s the biggest thing,” Tucker reflected. NWTC regularly engages in community-facing programming with partners, such as the Northland Beltline Taxpayers Association, local churches, and other community centers.

BUDC is making progress on the rehabilitation of three buildings on Buffalo’s East Side, which is expected to reduce neighborhood blight and provide space for advanced manufacturing businesses and local jobs. However, enhanced communication with community members is necessary to clarify community needs and convey the projected uses for these rehabilitated buildings, the timeline for these efforts, and how they relate to other neighborhood redevelopment efforts.

Innovation: Buffalo Manufacturing Works is supporting small and midsized manufacturers with tech implementation support and training

Buffalo Manufacturing Works (BMW) is providing small and midsized manufacturers (SMMs) with supports to overcome barriers to technology implementation as well as hand-on training for incumbent workers and high school students in related technology fields. This dual sector approach (with both the advanced manufacturing and tech sectors) appears to be meeting regional employers’ needs, judging by employers’ engagement. However, sustained employer engagement and readiness are still unknowns that will be critical to the success of the regional strategy.

Employer engagement is increasing, but requires continued nurturing

BMW has been seeing strong employer demand and engagement and is adapting its offerings to employers’ needs by meeting increased interest in and demand for “cobot” technology, especially post-pandemic. Cobots are designed to safely collaborate with humans and are outfitted with sensors, unlike industrial robots, which are built for speed and accuracy. BMW is actively working to help three SMMs in WNY implement cobot systems for metal parts finishing to increase efficiencies and take over ergonomically challenging parts of the manufacturing process. This approach somewhat mitigates concerns about job losses by both maximizing human expertise and increasing efficiency to get the work done.

Overall, BMW is ahead of schedule on implementation. BMW has also completed 48 business assessments as of October 2023 and formally brought 40 of them into the region’s Industry 4.0 ecosystem, as they have demonstrated engagement through participating in peer groups, incumbent worker trainings, and events.

Employer demand for these incumbent worker trainings continues to increase, as BMW has intensified its outreach process and its services have become more widely circulated. Companies have demonstrated particularly strong demand for the one-day training (compared to the five-day), including two companies that have inquired about buying out full one-day classes, which are projected to be implemented in 2024. And in response to companies’ feedback, BMW has also developed a two-day curriculum designed to provide participants with a more rigorous experience than the one-day introduction to automation, but without requiring as significant a time commitment as the five-day training (the first session was offered in late February 2024). In addition to this incumbent worker training, BMW has launched an after-school program at a high school in a Buffalo suburb to reach and engage younger audiences.

This employer engagement demonstrates early steps toward realizing a regional vision for business and workforce ecosystems that is closely informed by employers’ needs. Through the WNY MTW Coalition, NWTC’s Stephen Tucker will convene a council of employers and recruit “employer champions” in order to work toward a vision where employers “eventually have skin in the game.” Regarding the benefits of strong employer engagement, one private sector leader said, “I hope it’s the way we do business going forward,” as it reduces redundancies and promotes more efficient, effective use of funds.

Nevertheless, Karen Utz at ESD reflected that from the employers’ perspective, there may be skepticism. “Do the organizations understand how they fit together?” she said. “Are we organizing the trainings employers need? Are we getting the buy-in that we need from employers?” It is too early in the implementation process to answer, but these are undeniably critical questions that require continued scrutiny and will ultimately determine and drive the coalitions’ success.

Equity challenges in finding and including minority-owned businesses

It is harder for small and minority-owned businesses to benefit from the Shift 2.0 program. There are several hurdles that significantly reduce minority-owned business engagement and increase BMW’s difficulty in outreach. One barrier is that the process of acquiring a minority business certification is extensive and can take a long time in New York, resulting in a relatively low number of certified minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs). And MWBE certification is an important way for BMW to identify and recruit these firms. But this attenuated process is rooted in larger historical forces of segregation in communities (and therefore business networks) as well as the related factor of fewer MWBEs in manufacturing than in other sectors. Yet according to BMW, until businesses are certified as MWBEs, it is difficult—if not impossible—to treat them as such. Because there are few certified minority-owned SMMs, BMW is engaging in extensive outreach to identify and engage MWBEs. Additionally, successful outreach and engagement require rebuilding trust, as many MWBEs have been hurt by past patterns of discrimination and disinvestment. All in all, this challenge of identifying MWBEs is particularly salient for construction firms, as they attempt to hire MWBEs for ongoing projects.

In implementing the BBBRC innovation pillar, BMW is building on its core work providing tech support and training to SMMs to help them implement new technologies. BMW’s focus on increasing employer efficiencies through specific trainings—such as cobot implementation projects—remains part of the larger goal of bringing the region’s SMMs into an Industry 4.0 ecosystem. While these efforts are meeting some equity challenges, BMW’s employment engagement efforts and collaboration with NWTC are driven by the regional vision that business and workforce ecosystems can be more closely informed by employers’ needs and meet greater equity outcomes.

Governance and organizing across WNYAM and WNY MTW coalitions

While formal coordination of the BBBRC projects does not happen regularly (as WNYAM is not funded to have an official governance structure), the high level of pre-existing relationships and networking among key organizations means there is substantial informal coordination that allows WNY leaders to collaborate with each other, including in developing the WNY MTW Coalition. By all accounts, the individual implementing organizations are managing the three BBBRC projects well, and grantees say they organize themselves to discuss success stories, strategize, and coordinate reporting and storytelling. Moreover, the related WNY MTW Coalition’s governance structure—with its clearly defined leadership structure, including the subsequent decision to establish and fund a WNY MTW Coalition executive director (NWTC President and CEO Stephen Tucker) and a senior project lead (at CRS) to support the coalition and focus on strategy—fills an intermediary organization gap in the workforce pillar.

Overall, governance and oversight efforts of the informal WNYAM structure are reliant on resources provided through other efforts—such as ongoing state initiatives and the WNY MTW Coalition—to essentially cover the time and effort required to connect the BBBRC projects. However, WNYAM organizations and their leaders (e.g., Henry Cialone at BMW; Tom Ulbrich at Goodwill of WNY; and the BUDC staff) are already key players in Buffalo and the WNY region, and are well networked within the community as well as with the state and philanthropy, enabling WNYAM partners to build a broader regional strategy.

Implications

While there are multiple years left in both the WNYAM and WNY MTW grant periods, the region’s early progress offers critical insights, as laid out below in the five emerging implications for economic, community, and workforce development practitioners and policymakers. Both coalitions are testing new approaches to regional collaboration aimed at reversing downward economic trends and jump-starting inclusive economic growth in a region with both urban and rural areas that face long-standing challenges. The WNY MTW Coalition’s dual sector strategy—blending advanced manufacturing and tech training to reflect business employment demands and the realities of workers’ skills and training needs—is just launching and will be woven into a full workforce and economic development regional strategy. As these pilot efforts continue in the coming years, it will be important to monitor them for their effectiveness and long-term sustainability.

The two synergistic coalitions demonstrate how equitable economic and workforce development strategies can achieve relevance at multiple geographic scales, from outlying rural areas to low-income inner city neighborhoods.

These two coalitions provide a unique opportunity to demonstrate ways to overcome barriers to training and inclusive economic growth with tailored, community-shaped strategies that are also informed through regional sharing across rural and urban areas. For example, in the more densely populated city of Buffalo, NWTC has crafted and implemented strategies to embed itself in the neighborhood—rebuilding trust that institutions have lost due to decades of racial exclusion and segregation, and directly engaging local organizations through community programming to reach historically excluded populations. On the other hand, in the Southern Tier, JCC has focused less on strategic outreach and more on directing resources to wraparound services such as transportation needs and other supports that uniquely affect rural residents. Notwithstanding these differences, the rural and urban areas also have much to learn from each other and are now well positioned to do so, particularly with the WNY MTW Coalition deliberately bringing in multiple new collaborators from the rural Southern Tier.

This case study illustrates the synergies and tensions that can arise from physically siting new regional economic assets within underinvested neighborhoods.

Redevelopment of abandoned buildings—such as the NWTC building previously completed with state Buffalo Billion funds and additional buildings being reconstructed under the WNYAM project—offer significant community benefits as neighborhood anchors, such as blight elimination and the subsequent positive impact of installing new productive uses in the buildings with local employment opportunities. However, as community feedback demonstrated, systemic equity issues and distrust do not disappear overnight. As they are completed, these physical infrastructure reuse projects will need to continue to undergo significant community review as the subject of community meetings, with clarity on timelines for completion and reuses. At the coalition level, WNYAM partners will need to better articulate how the buildings’ uses tie back to strategic workforce and economic development outcomes.

The large, one-time infusions of federal, state, and philanthropic resources into Western New York’s institutions are forcing new considerations around organizational sustainability.

The potential for program and organizational sustainability varies across projects and intermediaries depending on factors such as mix of funding, revenue sources, and the nonprofit business model and its strategic approach. Such a large infusion of philanthropic and public dollars to fund intermediaries designed to jump-start a stalled economy is generally not sustainable. The ultimate viability of the funded organizations and their sustainability depend on a range of factors, including the mix, type, and degree of sources (i.e., public versus philanthropic versus private); the entities’ business operating models; and who the intermediary is serving. BMW, which has been primarily funded through state ESD and now federal EDA funding, recently adopted a five-year strategic plan that expects about 30% of its operational budget to come from the public sector.

BMW and NWTC—both founded and supplied with ongoing public funding, and now bolstered with subsequent philanthropic support leveraging the original public investments—are likely to have more sustainability pressures than, for example, an organization such as TechBuffalo, which was founded primarily with private sector partners along with some philanthropic support. Nevertheless, programs such as TechBuffalo may be expensive and labor-intensive compared to overall outcomes in terms of number of trained workers, and may need to be modified or scaled accordingly—particularly if private sector partners do not remain heavily involved. Finally, Goodwill of WNY’s Goodskills program stands out for finding independent revenue sources; it builds out of its retail infrastructure, the profits from which can fund the workforce work. The program’s goal is to be 95% self-funded by 2030. All these considerations are critical as the region’s largest philanthropic supporter, the Wilson Foundation, sunsets in 2035. Therefore, these intermediaries must continue to seek ways to generate independent revenue and create self-sustaining revenue models, unless they can expect regular public or philanthropic infusions.

Piloting and innovating new sustainability approaches have already resulted in WNY intermediaries developing new models that have replication potential and are attracting interest for adoption within and outside New York.

Because the intermediaries predated the launch (as a result of Buffalo Billion funding) and implementation of either coalition, the additional boost of funding is further transforming them. As these nonprofit organizations test new ways of doing business and strategic planning, they are attaining new levels of maturity with potential for replicability. For instance, scaling up NWTC’s model would offer new sustainability opportunities, especially given its demonstrated effectiveness—a completion rate more than twice as high as three-year completion rates at community colleges. Whereas previously, State University of New York community colleges had been skeptical there would be student demand, one public sector official said, “Now they’re advertising Northland as one of the premier programs that they offer.” A recent announcement by New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for a new funding program for training centers across the state that apply the approach first developed at NWTC.

The region is also seeing synergies among the myriad of federal programs that are touching Upstate New York. For instance, cross-regional discussions arising from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program led BMW to have conversations about replicating Shift 2.0 in regions outside Buffalo, including in Rochester, N.Y. and a Midwestern location. While its business model would not support opening a full operation at another site, BMW is exploring potential partnerships with organizations in other localities within driving distance (e.g., Rochester), where they can offer incumbent worker trainings that are more accessible to workers in those areas.

Finally, the coalition-based funding (e.g., the state’s funding of the WNY MTW Coalition) has been discussed as an alternative funding track for ESD/OSWD-funded programs in other New York regions, with the idea of coalitions growing into a community of practice. The individual WNY MTW Coalition grantees worked closely with the Wilson Foundation and UBRI to creatively design their separate grant applications and demonstrate their relationships using strong common language so that the coalition members would be easily identifiable as a coalition in practice.

The WNY coalitions exemplify how active philanthropic and state investors can complement federal place-based grants to drive greater scale.

These regional coalitions are fostering inclusive networks that will be critical to renewed economic growth by extending programs and projects to transcend urban-rural divides and cross historical residential segregation boundaries in the heart of Buffalo. Pre-existing cross-sector relationships, intentional network-building, and state and philanthropic funding have set up the region’s WNYAM and WNY MTW coalitions to drive successful regional economic growth. While WNYAM does not have an EDA-funded regional economic competitiveness officer (RECO) governance infrastructure, the synergies with the WNY MTW Coalition show the unique power of state and philanthropic efforts to fund and curate a strong regional strategies by facilitating knowledge exchange, peer learning, and relationship-building—all enabling the intermediary organizations to reduce redundancies and leverage existing resources. Only by addressing underlying racial, socioeconomic, and geographic inequities will the region harness its full economic potential.

The cascading tranches of funding that have flowed into WNY over the last five years—on top of the Buffalo Billion—are already having cumulative effects. Now, building on that robust foundation, the BBBRC federal investment complements additional public and philanthropic investments: $55 million from ESD for Northland construction projects and $29 million from OSWD and the Wilson Foundation for workforce components across the WNY region.

This blended funding is further strengthening the region’s intermediaries (e.g., NWTC, BMW) and fortifying their work. It has also renewed East Side community interest and advocacy by revitalizing neighborhood information-sharing and advocacy groups. Alongside Goodwill of WNY’s Goodskills project, the WNY MTW Coalition is positioned to drive new regional workforce efforts—marking an unprecedented level of collaboration across the region through formal participation by JCC and MAST—and leverage these relationships to build out its goal of a knitted-together, long-term regional workforce ecosystem strategy. As the region gains economic momentum, this layering of funding is positioned to attract more private sector investment—complementing the augmented work of local intermediaries as they find ways to support themselves and sustain their programs.

EDA case study series

The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and policy solutions. Its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations for policymakers and the public. As such, the conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publications are solely those of its authors, and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or other scholars.

Brookings recognizes the value it provides in its absolute commitment to quality, independence, and impact. Activities supported by its funders reflect this commitment.

The authors thank Alex Jones, Bernadette Grafton, Ilana Valinsky, Ryan Zamarripa, Suyog Padgaonkar, Scott Andes, and Justin Tooley from the Economic Development Administration for their insights into the Build Back Better Regional Challenge and for their guidance throughout the development of this case study. For their comments and advice on drafts of this paper, the authors also thank our colleagues Joseph Parilla, Hanna Love, and Glencora Haskins, as well as Laura Quebral (Center for Regional Strategies), Paul Tronolone (Empire State Development), and Susan Dundon (Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation). The authors also thank all local leaders, community-based organizations, economic development practitioners, regional intermediaries, higher education institutions, industry representatives, and other coalition members who participated in informational interviews and site visits throughout this project, and who provided feedback on the research insights and policy recommendations detailed in this report.

This report was prepared by Brookings Metro using federal funds under award ED22HDQ3070081 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

About Brookings Metro

Brookings Metro collaborates with local leaders to transform original research insights into policy and practical solutions that scale nationally, serving more communities. Our affirmative vision is one in which every community in our nation can be prosperous, just, and resilient, no matter its starting point. To learn more, visit www.brookings.edu/metro .

• Economic Development Administration. “FY 2021 American Rescue Plan Act Build Back Better Regional Challenge Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (ARPA BBBRC NOFO).” U.S. Department of Commerce.  https://www.eda.gov/arpa/build-back-better   https://www.eda.gov/arpa/build-back-better   

Economic Development

Brookings Metro

Helping communities make the most of historic public investment

Joseph Parilla, Glencora Haskins, Mark Muro

Robert Maxim