An annual research summer school co-sponsored by the AFL-CIO and Cornell University has served as an effective stepping-stone for students of all ages who are interested in working as campaign researchers. Over the last decade, the program has placed hundreds of participants in research jobs at unions across the country.

The summer school this year is June 9–14 in Ithaca, N.Y. The application deadline is May 17. 

Scholarships are available to individuals, based on need, if taking the course for credit. 

For students who wish to work as researchers in unions and at social justice organizations, understanding how to mine data on corporate America is key. Students now have the opportunity to gain such skills through an intensive, hands-on, weeklong course at Cornell University on Strategic Corporate Research. The June 10-15 session in Ithaca, N.Y., is co-sponsored by Cornell and the AFL-CIO Center for Strategic Research. Registration deadline is May 17, 2012.

A new study suggests one path to helping people struggling in today’s economy find their way into the middle class, via Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) for large-scale construction projects. Among the most successful PLAs, the Cornell University study found, are those that incorporate Community Workforce Agreements born of partnerships between community organizations, unions and employers. Community workforce provisions require the hiring of local residents on construction projects, and often target specific populations, including low-income people, women and veterans.