The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse case studies highlight innovative interventions that aim to improve employment outcomes for TANF participants and other individuals with low incomes, especially public assistance recipients. The purpose of each case study is to feature an innovative but untested intervention that a state, county, community-based organization, or other entity is undertaking. These 21 case studies are intended to help practitioners learn from the experiences of other organizations or agencies implementing innovative employment interventions.

In response to the April 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report’s dire predictions about the impacts of climate change, this MDRC paper states that accompanying a rise in demand for clean energy systems and products is a growing shortage of workers trained in the building, installation, operation, and maintenance of new technologies. The need to rapidly expand the number of good climate jobs with family-sustaining wages and advancement opportunities offers an opportunity to provide redress for communities historically lacking adequate access to economic opportunity. It is more important than ever to develop new evidence-based pathways and models of career and technical education (CTE) that can meet the needs of a changing labor market. The paper presents (1) an overview of the scope of jobs that are affected by the transition to a clean energy and climate-resilient economy; (2) a review of the current state of policies aimed at expanding the climate workforce; (3) a review of the evidence about CTE; and (4) a discussion of barriers and potential solutions to improving the education and training pipeline to support an economic transition that is just and equitable.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and its federal agency partners invite stakeholders to participate in the "Our Future Matters: Informing the Federal Interagency Strategy" national online dialogue. This important virtual conversation aims to enhance policies and practices to facilitate a smooth transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities.

Through the dialogue, federal staff will seek input on ways to enhance services for youth and young adults with disabilities in the following areas:

• Education
• Employment
• Health and Human Services
• Social Security

Please join this important conversation by visiting the dialogue now through August 14, 2023. Simply log on, register, submit ideas, or comment and vote on ideas submitted by others.

Sector programs train people for high-quality jobs in industries that have strong local demand and offer the opportunity for career advancement. Most programs offer similar services: job-readiness training (including professional skills development), occupational skills training, and support services. These programs can improve both the educational and the economic outcomes of low-income adults trying to enter and advance in the labor market. This MDRC paper presents recommendations that can help policymakers and practitioners develop high-quality programs to assist unemployed people in obtaining the skills and support they need to work in high-wage, high-growth sectors of the labor market in their regions.

Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program is the oldest and largest ongoing youth apprenticeship (YA) program in the U.S. As youth apprenticeship has reemerged as an attractive option for preparing young people for careers, Wisconsin’s YA program offers interesting insights to policymakers and practitioners. The state funds the program in a way that emphasizes local control, administration, and outreach to high school students and employers. This Urban Institute brief highlights the program’s history, recent growth, and structure and draws on perspectives from state officials, local program directors, and employers.

Young adulthood is a crucial period that can determine a person’s success later in life by setting a trajectory for work experience, education and training, and financial stability. Unfortunately, many previously incarcerated young adults face collateral consequences from policies and laws that make it difficult to obtain employment and education even after they are released from incarceration. This Center for American Progress issue brief offers recommendations and highlights promising practices at the state and local levels for improving the economic outcomes of reentering young adults, addressing barriers to reentry, and reducing recidivism.

WorkforceGPS will host a virtual session on July 27, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET that will provide technical assistance to workforce-oriented entities looking to better identify occupational segregation, which perpetuates wage disparities and hinders career advancement. In attending, participants will learn tangible ways to access and use publicly available data to understand the impact of occupational segregation in their communities. The webinar will feature a live demonstration of disaggregating publicly available data and will also feature guest speakers who will share practical examples of how data can be used to inform program practices and policies.

The Launch Pathways Initiative (Launch) is a national college and career pathways initiative focused on advancing high-quality, equitable, and sustainable pathways models at scale. The Launch Partners provide technical assistance to twelve teams from eleven states, organized into two cohorts: the Impact Cohort and the Innovation Cohort. While state teams in both cohorts focus on building more equitable and sustainable college and career pathways systems, the cohorts will follow two distinct paths. This New America blogpost provides a glimpse into the work of the Impact Cohort.