Meeting the Needs of Job Seekers and Employers - A Synthesis of Findings on Sector Strategies

The review includes evaluations from the following seven sectoral programs: 1) Accelerated Training for Illinois Manufacturing; 2) Health Profession Opportunity Grants 1.0 Impact Study; 3) Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education; 4) Project QUEST; 5) Sectoral Employment Impact Study; 6) WorkAdvance; and 7) Year Up. The review focused on the following: target populations, occupations, and sectors; services offered; effects on training completion, attainment of credentials or certifications, employment, and earnings; and research gaps).

Researchers assigned program applicants at random to either a group that was eligible to receive program services (the program group) or to a group that was not eligible but could seek out other services in the community (the control group). Researchers tracked individuals in both research groups over time and compared their outcomes to estimate the impacts of the programs. These impacts—reflected by the differences between the program and control group outcomes—can be attributed to the program since the two groups are statistically alike at study entry. The only difference between them is that one group received program services and the other did not.

(This report is 15 pages long.)

The following selected findings were identified:

• Sector programs meet the needs of both job seekers and employers. Program screening determines which job seekers are served. This screening assesses applicant motivation, readiness for training, and employment and is often designed to mimic the hiring process. Most sector programs target low-income adults. Sector programs target various sectors, industries, and occupations, depending on the needs of employers in the local areas. Among the programs included in this synthesis, the most commonly targeted sectors were health care, manufacturing, and information technology.
• Programs must identify specific subsectors and occupations within the broader sectors they target. Targeted subsectors should offer quality jobs with high wages and benefits attainable by participants with the training and credentials that the specific program provides. Several evaluations identified the ability of organizations to adapt quickly to changes in the local economy as a critical success factor. All services are linked to the targeted sector. More traditional training programs (without an explicit sector focus) typically offer similar services. Still, one key difference between the two types of programs is that all sector program services are supposed to be tailored to the specifically targeted occupations.
• Perhaps the most valuable component of sector programs is the occupational skills training that prepares participants for target sector occupations. In most cases, this training leads to attaining an industry- or locally-recognized credential or certification. Many of the evaluations in this synthesis noted the importance of support services in helping participants complete training.
• Almost all of the evaluated sector programs led to increases in training completion or credential and certification attainment beyond the levels achieved by the control groups.

The following questions were identified for future research:

• Why do some sector programs achieve better outcomes and lead to more significant economic impacts than others?
• How can sector programs be strengthened to produce more extensive and consistent earnings impacts?
• What services should be provided to individuals who do not meet the screening criteria used by sector programs?
• Are individuals advancing into higher-paying jobs—either in or outside the target sector—over time? How can programs help participants continue along a career path?

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2020
• Author(s): Schaberg, K.
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies