The Associated Press and National Opinion Research Center's (NORC) Center for Public Affairs released a report on a two-part study conducted to better understand how lower-wage workers and employers think about jobs and opportunities for advancing workers' careers. This study revealed six critical issues with the potential to inform the policy conversation around investments in America's new economy and the workers who help drive it.

ConnectEd released a video about the Exploring College and Career Options (ECCO) curriculum, developed by MDRC and Bloom Associates, which includes lessons and activities that help students prepare for college and careers that expose them to real-world experiences on college campuses and in the workplace.

MDRC released a policy brief describing an innovative program designed to target the psychological and social behaviors that contribute to pain, disability, and inactivity among veterans with disabilities. The goal is to help these veterans resume daily activities and get on a path to work.

This joint paper by the National Transitional Jobs Network at Heartland Alliance and the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) provides suggestions and examples of innovative funding strategies for subsidized job programs to cities, States, and other public-sector entities that are considering or have decided to implement or expand subsidized employment programming. In particular, the paper may be helpful to sites that operate subsidized employment programs under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Fund and are interested in building on that experience but can no longer access TANF funds at the previous scale. The paper analyzes these strategies and makes recommendations based on prior successes.

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has released a guide for Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) in a report titled Navigating Federal Programs to Build Sustainable Career Pathways in the Health Professions. This report explains the requirements and performance accountability systems of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the workforce and adult education programs supported under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Titles I and II. The report also discusses specific strategies that States can use to overcome potential barriers caused by the disparate requirements of these programs.

The Department of Labor (DOL) Employment & Training Administration (ETA) released new features and enhancements to its range of online electronic tools (E-tools) to assist individuals in exploring careers, and preparing for and finding employment. ETA's E-tools help individuals explore career opportunities and link to job postings to make informed employment and education choices.

This article appears in an annual report compiled by the Center for Early Childhood Development at the University of Minnesota on coordinating systems for better child outcomes. It highlights a partnership that Ramsey County, Minnesota developed between their TANF program and their existing public health nurse home visiting program. The subsequent program model streamlines the TANF system for teen parents and provides for in-home and school- based services and supports for teen parents as they plan to attend higher education or enter the workforce after graduation or GED completion. The program boasts increased positive birth outcomes and high school/GED completion rates for teens involved in this program versus their uninvolved counterparts.

The Urban Institute recently published an article discussing the Work Support Strategies Initiative. Work Support Strategies (WSS) is a multiyear, multi-State initiative to implement reforms that help eligible low-income families get and keep a full package of work support benefits, including Medicaid, nutrition assistance (SNAP), and child care assistance. This report summarizes the lessons learned from the nine planning grant States (Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina), just one year into a four-year project. The report includes what the States did, how they overcame challenges, and how the planning year changed their strategies and capacities for the future.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration has issued six new Quick-Lesson Podcasts to help individuals find and use workforce statistics on unemployment, worker dislocation, projections, industries, the economy, and states and localities. The podcasts presume no previous subject matter or statistical knowledge, making it accessible for a broad variety of audiences and purposes. Each presentation includes basic definitions, a brief historical background, links to the most important data sources, and practical tips on how to interpret and use the data.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report on young adult employment. This report indicates that young adults' employment varies by education. Highlights from the study reveal that at age 25, people with more education were more likely to be employed than people with less education. Among people who had completed a bachelor's degree or more education and were no longer enrolled in school, 91 percent were employed in civilian jobs during the October when they were age 25, in comparison to the 60 percent of high school dropouts who were employed in civilian jobs during the October when they were age 25.