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.

This brief examines how the Urban Institute, partnered with Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation America, supported employers in designing and launching youth apprenticeship programs by drawing on five years of experience as federally funded intermediaries. The brief outlines what works in employer outreach, program design and registration, and support for employers’ mentoring and scaling efforts.

Apprenticeship training and college are often considered substitutes for each other, when they in fact work best as complements. This WorkRise resource analyzes administrative apprenticeship data to better understand how colleges have engaged with the apprenticeship system, and the experiences of apprentices in college-sponsored apprenticeship programs.

In recognition of Youth Apprenticeship Week in 2024, Mathematica spoke with Maryland’s Director of Apprenticeship and Training and California’s deputy chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards. This recording was supported by the Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Center of Excellence and highlights in-school and out-of-school youth apprenticeship initiatives for youth ages 16–24.

Early care and education (ECE) apprenticeship programs provide structured on-the-job learning combined with job-related education or coursework and are viewed as a promising strategy to prepare people for careers in ECE or provide career pathways for the people currently working in ECE. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation learning agenda offers a strategic approach to develop a portfolio of evidence and learning about the implementation and outcomes of ECE apprenticeship programs. It presents findings from a scan of existing materials and resources on ECE apprenticeships, expert interviews, and discussions at a virtual convening. This resource summarizes what is known about ECE apprenticeships, gaps in the knowledge base, and priorities for future research.

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.