Resource
Sector Strategies for Success Meeting the Needs of Workers and Employers
About
This brief highlights the importance of sector programs and what policymakers and practitioners can do to implement a sector program as an effective means to helping people obtain the skills needed to find jobs that are in demand during and after the pandemic.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to high unemployment rates overall, low-wage workers have been hit particularly hard. According to one analysis, employment fell by 34 percent for workers with lower wages (those in the bottom quarter of all earners), compared with a 10 percent drop for workers with higher wages (those in the top quarter). Workers without a high school diploma continue to experience higher levels of unemployment than their more educated peers.
This brief describes how sector programs train people for high-quality jobs in industries and occupational clusters that have strong local demand and offer the opportunity for career advancement. In addition, it points out that the most valuable component of sector programs is the occupational skills training that in most cases leads to industry- or locally recognized credentials or certifications.
The brief also showcases examples of the effectiveness of sector programs like Per Scholars, Year Up, Project QUEST, and Health Professionals Opportunity Grants Impact Study.
Major Findings and Recommendations
Sector strategies should play an increasingly important role in helping workers enter or return to the labor market in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has shown that sector programs can increase the receipt of credentials valued in the labor market, which can lead to increased earnings for participants. The following recommendations can help policymakers and practitioners develop their programs so that unemployed individuals can obtain the skills and supports they need to work in high-wage growth sectors:
- Focus on the most disadvantaged workers.
- Target sector jobs that have high wages and benefits, upward mobility opportunities, and high-wage growth trajectories.
- Focus on more than just hard skills.
- Bolster support services to help participants complete the program and advance in their careers.
- Provide strategic instruction and guidance.
Materials
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Content Details
Methodology:
Topics:
Dislocated Worker Services - General
Sector Strategies
Data-Driven Decisions
Planning/Policy/Governance/Leadership - General
Target Populations:
Programs:
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Industry Sectors:
- Last Updated:
- Created:
- Resource Publication Date: 2020
- Author(s): Schaberg, K.
- Funding Source: MDRC
- Resource Availability: Publicly available
- Posted by: Wesley Peterson
- Posted in: Workforce System Strategies