This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report synthesizes lessons learned and initial findings from HPOG University Partnerships 2.0 (HPOG UP 2.0) research grants awarded in 2016 to Brandeis University, Loyola University-Chicago, and Northwestern University. Under HPOG UP 2.0, researchers were required to partner with HPOG grantees. The report identifies the research methodologies for each grantee and takeaways during the four years of project-related research. It also illustrates how the university partnerships with these grantees grew and how the research conducted was implemented in specific, action-oriented practice.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report presents evaluation findings of the Instituto del Progreso Latino’s Carreras en Salud program. Carreras en Salud supports low-income, low-skilled Latino adults in Chicago in accessing and completing occupational training in nursing, which can result in improved outcomes in employment and earnings. Carreras en Salud is one of nine programs examined under the Administration for Children and Families’ Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education project.

Next spring, the Administration for Children and Families will launch the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse, a new website to help TANF administrators and other program providers make evidence-informed decisions, so that they can design effective programs to help low-income individuals find and succeed in employment. On Monday, July 29, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. ET, members of the Pathways team will lead a panel discussion at the National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics (NAWRS) conference in New Orleans to preview the website and gather feedback to inform its ongoing development.

Want to attend the panel, but unable to attend the conference in person? Join Mathematica’s Facebook Live event broadcasting the discussion: https://www.facebook.com/MathematicaNow.

The Office of Family Assistance’s Career Pathways: Catalog of Toolkits is an online directory of free resources available for planning a Career Pathways initiative. Toolkits in this Catalog provide clear action steps for starting a Career Pathways initiative and help different sectors – education, workforce, human services, industry, and policy – learn to communicate with each other about resources and priorities. This version of the Catalog includes 23 newly identified toolkits that were published by state agencies, research organizations, and workforce stakeholders from 2016 to 2022. Each of the new toolkits addresses at least one of the following elements: building cross-agency partnerships and clarifying roles, identifying sector or industry and engaging employers, designing education and training programs, aligning policies and programs, and measuring system change and performance.

This National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD Center) toolkit provides a blueprint to help build partnerships between workforce development boards/American Job Centers and banks. It provides practical guidance on creating linkages to financial literacy programming and career pathway opportunities for jobs within the banking sector, enhancing financial empowerment and career growth for participants. TANF front-line staff can utilize this resource to support participants in gaining financial empowerment and pursuing career pathways into bank jobs, that foster long-term personal growth and financial stability.

For more information, please contact Yvonne Wright at ywright@ndi-inc.org. 

Sectoral training programs train people for jobs in industries where there is strong local demand and the opportunity for career advancement. Several sectoral training models for jobs in technology have proven effective in improving long-term earnings for workers with low incomes. But many people still do not have access to these programs because the programs may be too far from home or too costly. The Google Career Certificates Fund provides funding for training providers to support 20,000 learners. Providers combine Google Career Certificates, which offer online instruction in sector-specific skills, and outcomes-based loans, in which learners are only required to pay for training and related costs if they find jobs above a certain income threshold. This MDRC brief evaluates and describes the potential of the Google Career Certificates Fund initiative as well as the sectoral training field more broadly in facilitating equitable access to career paths in technology.

Career pathways are a series of secondary, postsecondary, and/or adult education and training services that progressively lead to higher credentials and more advanced employment opportunities, with supports designed to help clients progress through these steps. The career pathways framework prepares participants for fields that are growing or in high demand (sometimes with a focus on fields growing in their geographic area), including health care, manufacturing, office administration, construction, and green industries. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation resource describes the effectiveness of programs that were identified by the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse as using a career pathways approach. It summarizes what is known about these programs and their impacts so Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other program administrators, policymakers, researchers, and the general public can apply the evidence to their context.

Non-degree credentials continue to gain attention and investment from workers, employers, and states, making it critical to ensure these credentials lead to good jobs and equitable outcomes. Given the significant role of life circumstances in people’s ability to enroll in and complete postsecondary programs, access to holistic supports, like food, housing, childcare, and emergency aid, along with career and academic coaching, and student-centered, family-friendly campus policies, should be a key component of evaluating the quality of non-degree pathways. The National Skills Coalition (NSC) hosted a Policy Action Lab to focus on expanding holistic support for students pursuing quality non-degree pathways. The event brought together more than sixty postsecondary, workforce, human services, and advocacy leaders from twenty states to examine state progress, innovations, and promising strategies tied to providing holistic supports to students pursuing quality, career-oriented non-degree programs and pathways at community and technical colleges. This NSC resource highlights key themes and considerations, as shared by states.

Despite rising college costs, a postsecondary education remains one of the most reliable pathways to good jobs and well-paying careers in the United States. Postsecondary education carries an immense earnings premium: One recent study found that a bachelor’s degree holder earns about $964,000 more over their lifetime than someone with a high school education. However, access to higher education remains strongly divided by demographic factors such as race and socioeconomic status. Programs that promote postsecondary access for underrepresented groups remain more important than ever; one such program is Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), which helps increase college enrollment and success for low-income students. This Center for American Progress resource describes GEAR UP, their services, and program outcomes.

In today's rapidly evolving job market, the importance of social capital, connections, and robust networks for youth career success cannot be overstated. Social capital plays a critical role in helping young people navigate the complexities of career development, and building it requires intentional effort and strategic planning. The National Youth Employment Coalition is hosting a webinar on September 26, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss the transformative power of social capital and potential strategies to help young people build it.