The BOOST initiative connects families with low incomes to critical human services supports and educational and career pathways to advance multigenerational family economic success. In six cities — Baltimore, Green Bay, Hartford, New York City (Queens), Portland, and Syracuse — community colleges and human services nonprofits have partnered to support the economic advancement of families as part of the BOOST initiative. This Jobs for the Future brief explores how these partnerships can advance multigenerational family economic success and how to lean into their unique strengths as they seek to achieve this goal. It looks at how the sites are working to change policies and access funding to support their partnership goals. It also highlights practices and insights learned, with the intent of aiding and accelerating other efforts to follow this collaborative path.

The Administration for Children and Families is hosting a webinar on November 14th, 2023 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET to highlight their new website, Promising Occupations, and how it can be used to enhance TANF case management or other employment services. The website is a career exploration tool that features more than 600 occupations that are expected to grow over the next 10 years and pay $15 per hour or more. The website will aid employment service providers to increase their usage of labor market information. The website allows users to identify promising occupations that are attainable through short-term education or training and are projected to grow with family-sustaining wages. During this webinar, attendees will learn:

• What is a "promising" occupation?; 
• The purpose of the website and how it was developed; and
• How to use the website and how it can help with your work with clients. 

The America’s Promise Job-Driven Grant Program was designed to develop and expand regional partnerships among employers, economic development agencies, workforce investment systems, and education and training providers to build a pipeline of skilled American workers in high-demand industries experiencing domestic labor shortages. Grantees, through the support of their established partnerships, offered tuition-free education and job training to workers that addressed the immediate needs of the regional labor market. Education and job training were offered in the form of classroom training and work-based learning opportunities, in addition to supports such as case management, job placement services, and necessary wraparound supportive services. This Department of Labor research brief evaluates the impact of America’s Promise programs on the earnings and employment of participants.

An apprenticeship is a proven strategy to develop a talent pipeline for a skilled workforce. Apprenticeship programs can help businesses mitigate workforce shortages and provide workers with paid work experience, classroom instruction, progressive wage increases, and a nationally recognized credential. However, apprenticeship completion rates are a concern for employers, labor organizations, and other organizations that sponsor and operate these programs. As apprenticeship expansion efforts continue to gain traction, it is imperative to consider the factors that may prevent apprentices from being successful. This AIR brief summarizes the findings of studies on apprentice retention and provides recommended strategies to mitigate factors negatively affecting attrition.

Young people need both cross-cutting skills and specialized knowledge to thrive in the rapidly changing economy, and business and industry leaders require fresh talent to innovate and grow. Pathways are a strategy to connect education with careers to meet the needs of youth, educators, and employers and create a more thriving and equitable economy. College and career pathways expand economic opportunity for all young people and meet regional talent needs. This Jobs for the Future framework outlines key considerations and promising strategies for pathways leaders who seek to achieve outcomes for youth while strengthening rural communities.

In 2022, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and Project SPARC (Student-Parents Are Reimagining CalWORKs) conducted research to better understand the barriers experienced by parenting students in CalWORKs, California’s cash assistance program for families with children. Parenting students work hard every day to pursue their goals, often juggling work, classes, and caregiving responsibilities. Public systems and programs can provide critical support, but frequently create additional hurdles for parenting students and their families, especially those with low incomes. This CSSP brief highlights findings from the research on parenting students’ experiences transferring to four-year institutions. Inadequate support for families’ basic needs combined with limited support at four-year institutions for parenting students who participate in CalWORKs are significant barriers for parenting students as they further their education.

Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts that are available to eligible individuals with disabilities. ABLE account funds can be used for "qualified disability-related expenses" (QDE). A QDE is any expense the beneficiary incurs because of the disability. These may include expenses related to education, housing, transportation, employment training and support, or other expenses that help improve health, independence and/or quality of life. This Social Security Administration blogpost explains who is eligible for an ABLE account, what the funds are used for, and the effect it has on Social Security disability benefits.

Federal initiatives fund key transition and employment support for youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YAD). These efforts include Pre-Employment Transition Services—funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and Career and Technical Education —funded by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. They share common goals but are housed in different agencies and have varying priorities, outcome expectations, and requirements. Service providers can leverage these different resources, maximize efficiency of delivery, and strengthen programs through braided funding. This Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth brief explains braided funding and offers four policy considerations for streamlining systems to offer comprehensive services that lead to sustained employment among more Y&YAD. State examples are provided for each consideration.

Early formal work experience provides long-lasting benefits for young adults, from higher wages to less time spent unemployed over their lifetimes. Young people need support and structure to empower them as they embark on their careers. This Urban Institute toolkit was developed with input from an array of organizations serving young people who are uniquely positioned to be allies to youth worker voice, including youth development groups, nonprofits specializing in job training and placement, social enterprises that directly employ and place young workers, as well as workforce organizations that partner with training programs. The toolkit was designed to guide youth-serving organizations on how to listen to and support youth voice within their own organizations, build youth skills to advocate for themselves at work, encourage employer partners to make space for youth voice, and elevate youth worker voice in community and policy conversations.