Apprenticeships can be a powerful model for workforce development but too often completion rates fall short. Apprenticeships for America will host a webinar on September 25, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET to explore the challenges and strategies behind improving apprenticeship completion rates.

Successful apprenticeship initiatives often begin with the development of a strong employer partnership. Intermediaries play a key role in educating the employer about the benefits of apprenticeships, assisting in the development of the apprenticeship, and providing support for the operation of the apprenticeship. Apprenticeships for America will host a webinar on October 16, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET to offer two examples of such partnerships from the manufacturing and healthcare industries. The panel will explore:

• How their partnerships developed;
• Key factors and strategies that contributed to the success of the partnerships;
• Challenges that needed to be addressed and the solutions that were developed;
• How the partnerships contribute to apprentice retention and completion; and
• Suggestions for other intermediaries and employers.

WorkforceGPS will host a webinar on September 25, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. ET to walk through tools and curricula that address barriers to employment for people with a criminal record and will provide the foundation for a successful job search. Presenters will offer resources to help customers explore career options, build a long-term future with training and credentials, and locate the support they may need for their reentry process.

The U.S. Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education published a report, America’s Talent Strategy: Equipping American Workers for the Golden Age, which presents a bold vision and concrete actions to transform the federal government’s approach to workforce development. The strategy outlines the Trump Administration’s blueprint for how it will prepare the workforce to seize the opportunities of President Trump’s America First economic agenda and power the nation’s entry into a new Golden Age of economic growth.

This Department of Labor announcement introduces the report and outlines the five strategic pillars of America’s Talent Strategy: Demand-Driven Strategies, Worker Mobility, Integrated Systems, Accountability, and Flexibility and Innovation.

The “Success Sequence” is a proven formula to help young adults succeed in America. The three steps are

1. get at least a high school degree; then
2. get a full-time job; and lastly,
3. get married before having children.

Research shows that 97% of young people who follow all three steps are not poor as adults. This Institute for Family Studies webpage explores the three steps of the “Success Sequence” and explains how it alleviates poverty among young adults.

Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Governor of each state must submit a workforce State Plan to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education that outlines a four-year strategy for the state’s workforce development system. The State Plan serves as the state’s strategic workforce development plan and provides analyses of the state’s economic conditions, workforce characteristics, and workforce development activities.

The State Strategic Vision, Goals and Strategies for 2024-2027 were developed by modifying the previous State Plan’s Vision, Goals and Strategies in consultation with workforce program administrators, the Governor’s Workforce Development Board (GWDB), the Minnesota Association of Workforce Boards (MAWB), and the National Governors Association (NGA). The shift in Vision, Goals and Strategies represents a new strategic direction for workforce development in the state, one that is focused on breaking down silos across workforce partners and being more intentional and proactive about the delivery of programs and services to Minnesotans. These resources highlight One Minnesota Workforce Development’s WIOA strategic vision as well as state plan goals and strategies.

Maryland’s Combined Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan partners worked collaboratively to bolster the workforce system. There are multiple entry points to services, and Maryland subscribes to a “no wrong door” philosophy for customer access to services. Weekly orientations, walk-ins, partner referrals, the Reemployment Opportunities Workshop, and the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program are typical entry points for new customers. As Maryland seeks to strengthen and enhance its practices through the implementation of this revised State Plan, success will require a commitment to innovation and collaboration, and a cohesive approach among partners. In 2022, Maryland added the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program as a Core Partner. Recognizing that no single entity can exclusively provide all services to a customer, this more inclusive approach will diversify services and invest in new, integrated practices that surpass the traditional expectations of a workforce system.

In FY2022, states spent more than 44 percent of federal TANF and state funds on non-assistance services, including work, education, and training activities; childcare; and child welfare services. Questions have arisen about how states use and account for TANF funds, and as a result the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review TANF non-assistance spending. This GAO report, part of a series of reports reviewing TANF, examines how the seven selected states have used TANF non-assistance funds, non-assistance data collected and used by selected states, and any data challenges faced by selected states and the extent to which the Department of Health and Human Services provides support to address these challenges.

The Office of Family Assistance’s TANF Outcomes Technical Assistance and Logistics (TOTAL) team hosted their office hours in June 2025 to review definitions, eligibility rules, and case studies related to the new Secondary School Attainment Rate reporting requirement. They discussed the data that needs to be collected, possible data sources, and how to calculate the secondary attainment rates.