Sector-specific job training

Before making investments in sector-specific job training, city and county leaders should ensure this strategy addresses local needs.

The Urban Institute and Mathematica have developed indicator frameworks to help local leaders assess conditions related to upward mobility, identify barriers, and guide investments to address these challenges. These indicator frameworks can serve as a starting point for self-assessment, not as a comprehensive evaluation, and should be complemented by other forms of local knowledge.

The Urban Institute's Upward Mobility Framework identifies a set of key local conditions that shape communities’ ability to advance upward mobility and racial equity. Local leaders can use the Upward Mobility Framework to better understand the factors that improve upward mobility and prioritize areas of focus. Data reports for cities and counties can be created here.

Several indicators in the Upward Mobility Framework may be improved with investments in high-quality programs. To measure these indicators and determine if investments in this strategy could help, examine the following:

• Employment opportunities: Ratio of pay on an average job to the cost of living. These data are available from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
• Access to jobs paying a living wage: Employment-to-population ratio for adults ages 25 to 54. These data are available from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and the Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics.
  
• Opportunities for income: Household income at 20th, 50th, and 80th percentiles. These data are available from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
• Financial security: Share of households with debt in collections. These data are available from the Urban Institute’s Debt in America website.

Mathematica's Education-to-Workforce (E-W) Indicator Framework helps local leaders identify the data that matter most in helping students and young adults succeed. Local leaders can use the E-W framework to better understand education and workforce conditions in their communities and to identify strategies that can improve outcomes in these areas.

Several indicators in the E-W Framework may be improved with investments in high-quality programs. To measure these indicators and determine if investments in this strategy could help, examine the following:

• Access to in-demand CTE pathways: Number and percentage of CTE program offerings considered “in demand”.
• CTE pathway concentration: Percentage of CTE students who earn at least 12 credits within a CTE program, or complete such a program if it encompasses fewer than 12 credits in total.
• Expenditures on workforce development programming: The amount of funding dedicated to workforce development programs as a percentage of total educational funding in a state.
• Industry-recognized credential: Percentage of program participants who have completed at least one industry-recognized credential.
• Participation in work-based learning: Percentage of workforce training program participants who participate in a work-based learning opportunity before program completion.

• Solicit feedback from local employers: Sector-specific job training programs should be closely aligned with the needs of local employers and the regional economy. Program designers should engage with local business leaders, chambers of commerce, and major employers to identify what skills and jobs are expected to be in demand. These groups can also help shape the training portion of the program to ensure that it aligns with the needs of current and future jobs. This process can create a win-win situation, wherein participants are more competitive in the local job market and employers have access to a better trained workforce.
• Screen applicants upfront: Sector-specific employment programs typically screen applicants for motivation, basic math and literacy skills, and ability to commit to program requirements. By selecting for applicants most likely to benefit from the program, program operators ensure resources are used most effectively.
• Offer comprehensive supports: Program participants typically face a range of human capital, social, and economic barriers to attaining higher-wage employment. Effective sector-specific employment programs often provide participants with comprehensive support services to address these challenges. Examples include job placement and retention services, counseling, and financial support.
• Cultivate vocal support from community leaders: Local public, nonprofit, and business leaders can play a critical role in the successful implementation of a sector-specific skills training program. Local leaders can use their positions to bring attention and support to the program. Even more importantly, leaders can demonstrate and amplify their commitment to the program by hiring program participants, providing feedback on the curriculum, and promoting the program throughout the community.
• Develop partnerships: Consider partnering with local community college and community-based organizations that regularly engage with young adults. Doing so may allow for shared recruiting and marketing efforts; many programs also partner with postsecondary institutions for classroom space and, in some cases, for professors to teach program courses.