Sharing   Economy 2.0: A Model from the UK for Improving 

The   "Gig Economy" for Workers

The Aspen Institute Economic   Opportunities Program invites you to attend an upcoming   WEBINAR in the Working in   America series. 

Register   now to attend this WEBINAR

Featuring

 Wingham Rowan

Director, Beyond Jobs

Tuesday, January 27,   2015

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST

A   special thanks to the Hitachi Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott   Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation for their support   of the Working in America discussion series.

 Engage   in the conversation via Twitter using the hashtag #talkgoodjobs and   follow @AspenWorkforce.

For   further information contact: Maya Goodwin, Economic Opportunities Program

e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About   the Webinar

The sharing   economy is quickly expanding in the US and globally.   Often referred to as the "gig economy" or "on-demand   economy," this dynamic collection of online business platforms   facilitates a wide variety of exchanges including of property, skills, labor,   and space. Common examples include Airbnb (rent a room or your house), Uber   (provide rides), TaskRabbit (do chores for others), and Instacart (be a   personal grocery shopper).The Economic Opportunities Program recently hosted   a panel   discussion of the pro's and con's of the sharing economy for   workers, and one panelist from the UK pointed to a new   model that could improve these work markets for workers. With   support from the UK government and foundations, Beyond   Jobs - an organization in the UK with a mission to unleash a   21st century model of irregular work - has developed an online platform that   goes beyond today's diffused and disconnected sharing economy platforms by   creating a centralized database aggregating opportunities and vetted workers.   It has the potential to provide a more efficient, predictable, and   easier-to-use platform for both workers and consumers. In this webinar,   Wingham Rowan, director of Beyond Jobs, will provide a background on the   platform, give a tour of the site, discuss potential application in the   United States, and answer participant questions. 

About   the Speaker

Wingham Rowan,     Director, Beyond Jobs     Wingham Rowan is Director of     Beyond Jobs. The project emerged from years of UK government funding to     create a better market for irregular blue-collar work, such as dog walking,     serving in a café over a lunchtime rush, running errands, leafleting, ad     hoc retail hours, homecare and so on.  Wingham initiated and oversaw     development of the sophisticated marketplace technologies required and     supervised multiple pilots that tested the concepts. He has authored two     books, policy papers across the political spectrum and countless articles     about the "grey zone" between a formal job and     unemployment.  Beyond Jobs is focused on the public policy changes     required before irregular work can become as accessible and rewarding as     possible.  Earlier in his career, Wingham was a technology journalist;     the producer and main host of Britain's longest running TV series about the     Internet.

Fellowship Opportunities

Teaching and Principal   Ambassador Fellowship

Applications for   the US Department of Education's Teaching and Principal   Ambassador Fellowships are now open. Positions are   paid and available on a full and part-time basis for one year. Teachingand Principal Ambassador   Fellows are outstanding educators, with a record of leadership in the school   community, strong communication skills, and insights on education policy   based in their school and classroom expertise.

Deadline for Applications: January 20^th, 2015

Policy Link: Funding Your Healthy   Food Project with USDA Resources

January 22, 2015

2pm EST/ 11am PST

This webinar will introduce the audience to several   programs at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and provide   examples of how USDA funding is being tapped to improve access to healthy   foods and support local food system development in low-income urban   communities.

Register   here

ABC Mouse: Free Early   Learning Curriculum

The ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy offers online   curriculum designed by early childhood experts for children ages 2-6+.    Used in more than 45,000 classrooms, the site is free to schools, Head Start   programs, public libraries, and other community organizations and is now   being made free to housing authorities. To learn more about ABCmouse.com, click here. To receive free access and   for more infomration, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A Framework for State   Level Promise Zones

The Promise Zones model   supports innovative localities as they implement comprehensive,   evidence-based strategies to revitalize high-poverty communities.  A new   report by The Center for American Progress provides a framework for state   leaders to adopt the Promise Zone model to increase opportunity for their   residents.  To read this report, click   here.

Building Sustainable   Communities: Initial Research Results

When community development is approached in a   comprehensive way, investments into poor communities create results. This   report, presented by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), shows how   jobs and income in neighborhoods that LISC heavily invested in grew at a   significantly faster pace than similar communities with little to no   investment. To read this report, click   here.

Sticker Shock:   Calculating the Full Price Tag for Youth Incarceration

Thirty-three U.S. states and jurisdictions spend $100,000   or more annually to incarcerate a young person, and continue to generate   outcomes that result in even greater costs. A report released by the Justice   Policy Institute examines the costs associated with the incarceration of   juveniles, and presents ways to more effectively help youth transition out of   the juvenile justice system. To read this report, click here

Tackling Poverty in   Place

A new article from Urban Institute looks at initiatives   that focus on distressed neighborhoods and examines three themes in tackling   neighborhood poverty. The piece also provides links to relevant research. To   read the article, click here.

Renovated Public Housing   Tied to Fewer Repeat ER Visits for Kids

A new study by The University of California, San Francisco   examines data on emergency and urgent-care needs of children in San Francisco.   The study reveals that kids living in renovated HOPE VI public housing were   less likely to repeatedly have emergency room visits than those living in old   public housing.  To read more about the study, click   here.

Lost in Place: Why the   Persistence and Spread of Concentrated Poverty – Not Gentrification – is Our   Biggest Urban Challenge

A paper from City Observatory examines population changes   in America’s poorest urban neighborhoods in the past four decades. This   analysis finds that the number of high poverty neighborhoods has tripled from   1970 to 2010 and the number of poor persons living in these neighborhoods has   doubled.  To read this paper, click here.