Learning from the Evidence│ The PROMISE Center
Workforce and sectoral training programs aim to give workers the skills they need to secure good jobs in growing industries and occupations. However, until recently, relatively few have made an impact on participants’ long-term employment and earnings. Recent rigorous research has revealed a handful of sectoral training programs that have overcome this barrier. However, little attention has been given to understanding why these programs are effective and how these practices can be scaled to reach more underserved communities.
The PROMISE Center is conducting two research studies to explore these issues: an implementation evidence review and a systematic equity review and gap analysis. In these projects, we are analyzing and comparing the implementation and practices of effective programs to understand which features contribute to their success. PROMISE is specifically seeking to understand how these programs have recruited and supported individuals from marginalized populations and identify how effective practices might be adapted to support diverse groups of people in alternative settings.
Relevant PROMISE Center Projects
Implementation Evidence Review of Sectoral Programs
The PROMISE Center team is conducting a structured review and synthesis of the implementation evidence on sectoral programs to identify promising practices, challenges, and lessons learned, as well as to develop hypotheses that can be further tested in our meta-analysis. Three programs that have demonstrated long-term impacts on participants’ earnings—Project Quest, Year Up, and Per Scholas—will be at the center of the study.
Systematic Equity Review and Gap Analysis of Rigorous Research Evidence on Sectoral Programs
In partnership with AIR’s Methods of Synthesis and Integration Center (MOSAIC), PROMISE Center researchers are conducting a systematic equity review and gap analysis of the evidence on sectoral and related workforce training approaches. In this study, we will identify effective models, key components, and other factors that contribute to program effectiveness.
