MDRC’s Richard Hendra and Kelsey Schaberg recently published a paper with Brent Orrell from the American Enterprise Institute, “Scaling the Impact of Sector-Based Employment Strategies,” which discusses how these programs can enhance economic mobility and address inequality. They argue that the key to effective scaling lies in successful replication, fidelity to the original models, and stable, flexible funding.

For participants to transition successfully from training to employment, these sector programs should be supplemented with comprehensive supports that address non-training needs, such as direct subsidies, childcare, transportation, and mental health resources. By incorporating these principles, such programs could substantially amplify their impact, thereby addressing the economic inequalities and improving employment outcomes more effectively.

A companion paper, “Scaling Year Up to Maximize Access and Impact” by Garrett A. R. Yursza Warfield, discusses how Year Up’s national workforce development model empowers young adults by bridging the opportunity divide through a blend of training and internships.

Visit the AEI website to read both papers.