This web page from the Office of Disability Employment Policy within the U.S. Department of Labor provides information and resources regarding customized employment – an employment strategy that has been shown to work well for those with disabilities. The web page offers videos, federal and state policy resources, and links to research about customized employment.

This web article from New America examines the Trump Administration’s apprenticeship goal to create five million apprenticeships over the next five years by looking at some of the more complex issues and potential answers. The article identifies potentially fractious issues about where apprenticeship is going in the U.S. by looking at who apprenticeships can serve – including among others, unemployed youth and low-skilled adults; how industry will need to lead with regard to shaping programs, thus ensuring that new programs meet employer needs; and how and what role education will play, in particular to make sure that apprenticeship is seen as high-quality post-secondary school education, not an alternative to it. It also looks at the role of public policy as it relates to investment in apprenticeship programs such as tax credits for employers and tuition reimbursement options. As well, the article highlights the importance of ensuring that strong and adaptive quality assurance programs are in place.

This brief is part of the Parents and Children Together (PACT) evaluation and summarizes the experiences of fathers interviewed during the first two rounds of in-depth interviews for the project. Themes from the interviews are explored, as well as how fathers provide for their children outside the formal child support system, and implications for further research are given.

This report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation examines the earnings of justice-involved men over the course of their incarceration and release. The study analyzed state administrative and survey data to compose a picture of the men's earnings, their involvement in child support, and how it affected their children and partners.

This article, from the director of the Office of Family Assistance (OFA), discusses OFA’s response to the opioid crisis. OFA is targeting the hardest hit communities and focusing on the economic impact on low- income families. They are hosting workshops on community-based solutions, collaborating with other agencies, and meeting with workforce development partners to help alleviate the barriers to family self-sufficiency that can be caused by opiate use and addiction.

This working paper from the W.E. Upjohn Institute compares employment and earnings of veterans to non-veterans after accessing workforce development services in Washington State. The cohort was followed over the course of eight years, and the rate of veteran participation in workforce programs was predictably higher in programs specifically targeting veterans. The employment rates for veterans after receipt of program services were still substantially lower than non-veterans.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), held the Employment Excellence: Social Enterprise Experts' Listening Session at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on March 1-2, 2018. This meeting convened a select group of thought leaders so they could explore the evolution and current landscape of social enterprise organizations (SEOs), as well as SEO successes, needs, and challenges. Attendees also brainstormed potential avenues for the federal government to advance the SEO field, particularly in support of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants and TANF-eligible populations.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar entitled “Opioid Use Disorder, Treatment, and Barriers to Employment Among TANF Recipients” on March 29, 2018. Opioid use disorder in the United States has skyrocketed since 2010, yet little contemporary research has been conducted on this surge’s effects on the TANF population. Existing research about the opioid crisis primarily focuses on its impact on the general population, while TANF-centered studies almost exclusively examine general substance use. Moreover, research shows opioid and substance use disorders pose significant barriers to employment for low-income individuals. Such an information gap makes it difficult to properly address TANF recipients’ needs for effective opioid use treatment. This interactive webinar explored how opioid use disorder affects TANF recipients and TANF-eligible individuals, as well as emerging strategies for assessing and treating these populations.

This article summarizes several listening sessions that the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse held with fathers to gain information about workforce development efforts. It highlights three main themes and suggestions that emerged from the sessions – Put People before Performance, Motivate Everyone to Self-Actualization, and Utilize Multi-Generational Approaches.

This fact sheet by the National Skills Coalition provides a succinct overview of the challenges faced by low-skilled service workers and their employers due to a lack of foundational and key skills with regard to job knowledge. The fact sheet outlines potential options for employers to boost worker skills, including industry partnerships, apprenticeships, work-based learning programs, and integrated education training. It provides informative tables and charts to illustrate how investment in upskilling workers can pay off for employers.