As part of the Building Evidence on Employment Strategies project, researchers conducted virtual interviews from November 2021 to April 2022 with staff members at ten workforce programs to learn how they were using technology to adapt their services during the pandemic. Most of the organizations used a hybrid model to blend in-person and virtual service delivery. This MDRC publication examines five key adaptations of the programs made to accommodate the new hiring context.

The Department of Labor announced up to $40 million in grants available for national out-of-school time organizations to expand local work-based learning opportunities, job training and career pathways for underserved youth during non-school hours. The Workforce Pathways for Youth demonstration grants will help these organizations partner with state or locally operated affiliate organizations that serve historically marginalized and underserved youth, ages 14 to 21. Priority will be given to organizations serving Native American youth.

Through the partnerships, out-of-school time organizations will introduce youth to career-related services, and provide work-based learning experiences and occupational skills training. They will also offer unsubsidized employment placements to increase opportunities for youth to gain the skills they need to be successful in post-secondary education and employment. The program also encourages partners across the workforce system to provide supportive services to address the mental health needs of participating youth.

To meet the growing sector of clean energy’s labor force demands, employers and workforce development professionals are seeking new approaches to train workers quickly and more effectively. The Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship is an initiative funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy that seeks to expand access to one such approach: registered apprenticeships for people with disabilities in high-growth sectors, such as clean energy. This Urban Institute brief discusses the need and opportunities for building inclusive apprenticeships in the clean energy sector.

Individuals can better meet economic challenges with higher wages, expanded employment opportunities, knowledge of financial concepts, and access to affordable and safe financial products and services. To help support the financial well-being of people with low incomes, government agencies fund both employment and training (E&T) programs and financial capability interventions. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation research brief describes the experiences of individuals with low incomes who participated in programs that integrate E&T and financial capability services. The brief is intended for E&T program administrators, client-facing staff, and financial capability service providers seeking to learn more about the successes and challenges of delivering integrated services from the perspective of participants. By incorporating these insights into service delivery, practitioners can improve program structures, strengthen engagement, and enhance supports to foster financial well-being for individuals with low incomes.

Sector-focused employment programs aim to improve the economic mobility of people with low incomes by training them for quality jobs in sectors that have strong local demand and opportunities for advancement. By partnering with local employers, these programs provide them with a skilled and able workforce. In this Evidence First podcast episode, MDRC talks with Per Scholas, a national nonprofit offering training and employment services.

The first-ever Youth Apprenticeship Week started May 5, 2024 and is a nationwide effort to spotlight the ben­e­fits of Reg­is­tered Appren­tice­ship pro­grams for youth and young adults. This Annie E. Casey Foundation resource highlights resources and data on the ben­e­fits of youth appren­tice­ship for both young peo­ple and employers.

People with low incomes may face various challenges to improving their financial situations. Employment and training (E&T) and financial capability services can help improve people's financial circumstances by providing them with useful skills, knowledge, and access to resources and opportunities. The Integrating Financial Capability and Employment Services (InFin) study, funded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), was designed to learn about ways in which organizations provide E&T and financial capability services in an integrated manner. This OPRE report summarizes the study’s key findings about the approaches that organizations use to integrate these services, their motivations for doing so, details on the types of financial capability services involved, and participant perspectives on integrated services. It also discusses considerations for future research on the effectiveness of integrated models.

Some of the most dynamic, responsive industry partnerships are developed between rural community colleges and local employers. When colleges, employers, and communities work together to create these place-based opportunities, they can develop workforce education and training programs and career pathways that put students on a path to good jobs, meet the workforce needs of local employers, and improve the economic prosperity of rural communities. This National Skills Coalition report highlights how industry partnerships benefit rural learners and employers alike – and shines a light on the rich variety of rural contexts, state systems, investments, and policies that can help drive and sustain effective partnerships between rural community colleges and local industry.

The National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD Center) will be hosting a Good Jobs Initiative webinar on April 25, 2024 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Attendees will look at the construction industry to learn how inclusive hiring practices – including equitable workforce development pathways like pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs, as well as labor-management partnerships – have benefited employees with disabilities and their employers in the construction industry.

The Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency-Next Generation (BIAS-NG) project aims to make human services programs work better for the people receiving services by reshaping program processes using lessons from behavioral science. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation newsletter provides insights from New York and Washington, focusing on improving employment and training services for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families clients.