This American Enterprise Institute report looks at noncredit skills training as a potential approach for addressing the skills gap in various occupations and how industry-based certification from noncredit training can address the demand for qualified labor. The report provides models of noncredit programs used at community colleges nationally and can be operationalized more flexibly than traditional degree programs.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report reviews the implementation and initial impact of career pathways strategies under the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) evaluation study. It also examines the effects of career pathway programs on participants for up to 18 months following entry into the PACE program.

The Office of Family Assistance published a data set on Tribal TANF recipient characteristics for FY 2008 through FY 2015. Data included are number of individuals participating in Tribal TANF work activities, number of adults by work participation status, number of adults by relationship to head of households, type of families receiving TANF assistance, number of TANF families by the number of children, and average age of TANF recipient children.

The National Association of Counties will host a three-part webinar series to discuss strategies county leaders can use to create comprehensive reentry substance abuse treatment plans with law enforcement officials for individuals in jails and upon reentry. The first webinar will be held on April 25, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. ET.

This Upjohn Institute working paper reviews the impact of SNAP work requirements. The research draws from American Community Survey data from 2010 to 2016 to assess the effects of work requirements on employment and SNAP participation for able-bodied adults without dependents. Initial findings suggest that SNAP work requirements decrease SNAP participation and lead to marginally increased employment for the target population.

This Institute for Research on Poverty study from the University of Wisconsin at Madison examines the dynamics behind transitions in and out of poverty within rural areas. The research proposes that changes to cash and non-cash resources to pay for food, clothing, shelter, and utilities play a larger role in poverty transitions than changes in family composition (for example, changes to the family due to birth, death, divorce, or repartnering).

The U.S. Department of Labor convened a webinar on December 5, 2018 that outlined how to leverage free and open educational resources to design and implement training and workforce development programs targeted toward youth. These materials are useful to sustain trainee participation and engagement in youth workforce programs.

This Prosperity Now report provides lessons learned for enhancing credit building activities for youth leaving foster care. Beyond explaining the need for financial independence and credit’s role among this population, the report highlights five organizations that successfully integrate programs for youth and asset building: the Children’s Home Society of Florida, DePelchin Children’s Center, First Place for Youth, the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, and the RightWay Foundation.

This Annie E. Casey Foundation report examines young returning citizens’ complex set of needs upon reintegration from the juvenile justice system. The report offers model programs and anticipated outcomes, as well as systems that address health, housing, education, and employment needs of formerly incarcerated youth.

This Urban Institute study documents the spatial mismatch between where hourly workers live and where the jobs are. In addition to maps that illustrate the issue in Columbus, Ohio and San Francisco, California, this study also presents data to identify the prevalence of the geographical divide throughout the country. Economists suggest that spatial mismatches can lead to higher unemployment rates and prolonged joblessness for those with limited access to transportation across geographical regions. The analysis concludes with successful strategies that some cities and regions have implemented to address spatial mismatch.