Even in good economic times, many adults in the United States have trouble finding jobs that pay enough to support their families. One policy response has been to help these workers build more skills, with promising findings from some sector-based programs that train individuals to work in specific high-demand industries. The Pay for Success Clean…

The Federal Pell Grant program is the largest program providing need-based grant aid to postsecondary students. In FY2023, the program made $31 billion in grant aid available to approximately 6.5 million low-income undergraduate students. Congress has considered several legislative proposals concerning Pell Grants in recent years, and it may…

This paper examines if active labor market programs help unemployed job seekers find jobs using a novel random caseworker instrumental variable (IV) design. Leveraging administrative data from Denmark, our identification strategy exploits that (i) job seekers are quasi-randomly assigned to caseworkers, and (ii) caseworkers differ in their…

This paper provides an analysis of government-supported workforce development programs in the United States and selected states as of the end of 2024. We provide an overview of the topic of workforce development, defining this to include activities and funding mechanisms that aim to increase the skills of workers and help them succeed in the labor…

This study presents the findings of an internal systems change evaluation of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Opportunity 2.0 activity in the Philippines, implemented by the Education Development Center (EDC). Known as "O2," the activity aimed to improve second-chance opportunities for 180,000 Filipino out-of-school…

In order to rectify the historical marginalization of Black workers in computing fields, many academic and industrial initiatives have been established to increase the diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. In this study, we explored how one particular post-secondary education program at one historically black institution known as the…

Background: Autism typically begins in childhood and affects over five million adults across the United States. Although most adults with autism would like to work, only about one-fourth are employed, and only 1% of working-age adults with autism receive employment services paid for by Vocational Rehabilitation or Medicaid. Individual Placement…

Beekeeping in Nepal has a rich history, and training programs have emerged as transformative agents in the industry's development. This study assesses the effectiveness of quality queen production training offered by the Beekeeping Development Program in Chitwan, Nepal held in March/April 2023. The research design employed a quantitative approach…

Video-based instruction (VBI) is an effective means to teach employment skills to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Within the category of VBI, video prompting (VP) is well-suited to teach multistep routines, and video modeling (VM) is better suited for social interactions. In this multiple probe design, three…

Introduction: In the context of increasing interest across Europe with youth not in employment education or training (NEET), the article explores and depicts the policy measures for stimulating school-to-work transition (SWT) and the work integration of youth in four EU countries. Methods: We use a database of NEET-related policies adopted between…

Thirteen per cent of all 16-24-year-olds in the UK are not in education, employment or training (NEET). This equates to nearly one million young people who are not currently learning or earning. The long-term scarring impact of being NEET for a sustained period of time on young people, society, and the economy, is well known. It is therefore of…

Early work experiences are associated with subsequent employment for students with significant disabilities, but they rarely receive such opportunities. This article presents two case studies illustrating a school-based intervention that connected students with significant disabilities to paid work during high school and included training for…

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience barriers to employment, contributing to persistently low employment rates within this population. Proficiency in social and technical skills is essential for obtaining and maintaining employment. One evidence-based approach for teaching these skills…

Of the record high 122.6 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, about 43.4 million are refugees, and an estimated 15% to 33% have at least one type of disability. Due to structural racism and ableism, many refugees with disabilities find it difficult to access vocational rehabilitation/employment resources, assistive technologies, and…

The 2024 Illinois Career and Technical Education Report is submitted in compliance with Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 435/2e, which requires a written career and technical education (CTE) report to be issued to the governor annually. This report describes the establishment of and delivery of CTE in Illinois, the existing condition of Illinois CTE…