This Jobs for the Future report profiles the Opportunity Works program, a national effort to create postsecondary education and career pathways for over 2,000 out-of-school and out-of-work youth. The research in this report identifies four strategies for program success: place community-based organizations at the center, locate the “sweet spot” of a guiding model, provide excellent programming, and plan for program sustainability from the beginning.

This Jobs for the Future research report describes how short-term apprenticeship programs can be integrated into a full career ladder. It identifies how shorter apprenticeships (18 months or less) might represent stackable rungs on the career ladder, compared to more traditional apprenticeship programs that are longer in length. The report includes recommendations for employers as well as government to support expanding stackable apprenticeships.

This Center for Law and Social Policy issue brief describes how career pathways have a shared definition under Perkins V, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and the Higher Education Act. The relationship between career pathways and programs of study is discussed; this important relationship ties training and education to meet the needs of learners as they seek to enter and advance in jobs that require credentialing.

This Annie E. Casey Foundation-supported study, authored by Brookings and Child Trends, identifies three factors that contribute to future economic progress among low-income youth: a post-secondary education (potentially equalizes young adults searching for high-quality jobs), labor market experience at an early age (predicts higher wages and job quality later in life), and relevant high school work-based learning experiences (involve positive relationships with adults and have a positive effect on job quality).

On October 30, MDRC and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association will host a free webinar as part of their College Promise Success Initiative. This webinar will feature adult promise programs as part of their programming around technical assistance and evidence-based support practices. Stay tuned for more information to come.

Because most jobs today, especially sustainable and well-paying jobs, require a college degree, those without postsecondary credentials are at risk of being left out of or underemployed in the workforce. While national attention is being focused on increasing this number in aggregate, more attention needs to be paid to populations like opportunity youth, immigrants, or the previously incarcerated that have historically had low college enrollment rates and continue to be underserved. This Jobs for the Future report details four ways that institutions can initiate and sustain guided pathways and cross-cutting policies: 1) political leadership and commitment, 2) data systems capacity and use, 3) braided funding, and 4) capacity building and continuous improvement. They also highlight four policies for students to help them connect, enter, progress through, and complete college: 1) strong on-ramps, 2) ongoing intensive student support, 3) comprehensive financial aid, and 4) robust career pathways. More information on the current conditions and policy opportunities within each category is provided in the report.

Two recent reports from the Institute of Higher Education Policy and the Education Trust found that programs offering free tuition to low-income students typically do not have the intended impact of making college more affordable. Because these programs only cover the leftover tuition of what other forms of federal and state aid do not cover, they usually do not lower other financial barriers, such as housing, transportation, or textbook costs. While some program advocates have said that these reports analyze financial aid programs in a vacuum and not in context of other forms of aid, the reports nonetheless recommend close scrutiny of free tuition programs and suggest adding other forms of financial support to fully enable low-income students to attend college.

This report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce outlines challenges faced by low-income students who work longer hours than their higher-income peers while at the same time aiming to complete their postgraduate education. The report distinguishes between these two groups of students, both on the extent of their financial safety nets and the applicability of their choice of study. It concludes with recommendations to provide support for low-income students in completing their higher education to close the opportunity and education gaps they face.

An MDRC infographic provides initial findings of the Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential (LEAP) initiative, which targets youth ages 15-25 who have been involved in the child welfare and justice systems, or who are homeless. The infographic identifies components of two established national programs – Jobs for America’s Graduates and the Jobs for the Future Back on Track – and the LEAP enhancements for case management and training that are offered locally to support youth in employment and postsecondary educational opportunities.