Overview
Human capital development—or people’s ability to acquire skills and knowledge through education and training—advances workers’ economic opportunity and strengthens employers and the economy. Yet the complex landscape of skills and training is fragmented across institutions of higher education, public and private providers, and other credentialing programs. More importantly, human capital development alone does not lead to greater economic mobility, as many workers continue to face barriers to reaching their full potential in the labor market.
Working Knowledge
Job search and matching
April 08, 2022
Article
How “Netflix for Jobs” Is Unlocking Economic Mobility: A Q&A with Scott Jensen
Chief executive officer and vice president of external affairs for Research Improving People's Lives shares insights on how data, science, and technology can identify promising employment and training opportunities for jobseekers looking to earn more or gain new skills.
April 08, 2022
Employer practices
January 25, 2022
Article
New and Noteworthy: Research on predictable scheduling laws, postsecondary decisionmaking among youth, and more
New and Noteworthy highlights new research and data to inform policies, practices, and programs designed to strengthen workers’ economic security and pathways for mobility in the US labor market.
January 25, 2022
Skills and training
September 02, 2021
Article
Building Evidence on Occupational Identity Could Lead to New Approaches for Improving Labor Market Outcomes for Young People
Understanding how young adults form and mediate occupational identity could inform strategies to improve labor market outcomes.
September 02, 2021
Demographic disparities
May 24, 2021
Article
Closing Digital Skill Gaps Created by Structural Inequities Could Enhance Young Workers’ Economic Resilience
Today’s labor market increasingly requires digital skills to search, apply for, and succeed in higher-wage jobs that are also associated with high…
May 24, 2021
Research
Skills and training
April 03, 2023
Navigating Public Job Training
Right now, more than 75,000 Eligible Training Provider (ETP) job programs are eligible for funding under America’s primary federal workforce development law, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). How well do these public investments prepare workers for high-quality jobs? In this analysis, authors combine training provider and program data from the US Department of Labor with performance records and occupational data to study the types of providers receiving WIOA funding and the kinds of jobs for which they offer training. The report also reviews websites for all 50 states to understand how easily potential job trainees can access information on these programs.
April 03, 2023
Supportive services
March 15, 2022
Expanding Child Care Subsidies to Parents in Education and Training
A fact sheet summarizes findings from a new WorkRise report that models a hypothetical policy scenario where more parents in education and training were eligible for and received public child care subsidies.
March 15, 2022
Supportive services
March 15, 2022
Implications of Providing Child Care Assistance to Parents In Education and Training
New WorkRise research uses microsimulation to model a hypothetical policy scenario where more parents in education and training were eligible for and received public child care subsidies.
March 15, 2022