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Workforce Development

Abt builds evidence and identifies promising practices to help workers find and retain jobs and advance to higher-paying positions. Our experts provide technical assistance to partners such as U.S. federal, state, and local government workforce agencies; education institutions; and community and philanthropic organizations. Our strategies include a wide range of research-informed approaches generating actionable evidence to improve economic well-being. To promote fairness, our approaches address the needs of certain populations, such as healthcare workers and those with disabilities, substance use disorders, and justice system involvement. 

Expertise

  • Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation
  • Capacity Building and Technical Assistance
  • Systematic Evidence Reviews and Clearinghouses
  • Digital and Survey Data Services for Informed Decision-Making
  • Clients Include

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    U.S. Department of Labor

    ACF

    Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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    State, Local, & Tribal Organizations

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    Foundations, Philanthropies, and Community Organizations

    Our Work

    Do Apprenticeships Help Workers and Employers?

    The American Apprenticeship Initiative benefited both workers and employers

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    Employer and employee surveys that assessed use and perceptions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), updated to reflect emerging policies

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    Evaluation of career pathways programs for less-educated workers that found increased employment in some industries but no meaningful earnings change

    Building More Evidence in Reemployment Services for Unemployment Claimants

    Study to determine effectiveness of a federal program that helps Unemployment Insurance claimants return to work more quickly

    Clearinghouse Synthesizes Evidence on Labor Policies, Programs

    Expansion and enhancement of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research

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    Our Experts

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    Insights

    Spotlight On: Boosting Skills and Earnings

    For more than 30 years, Abt Global has conducted research on workforce development programs and their effectiveness raising participants’ skills to meet employers’ workforce needs and to increase employment and earnings prospects for workers.

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    Spotlight On

    Building Better Pathways: An Analysis of Career Trajectories and Occupational Transitions

    Abt Global’s analysis of careers in mid-level occupations found the features of occupations and workers that affected wage increases.

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    Publication

    Evaluating Year Up’s Programs for Young Adults

    Prospects for young adults without postsecondary credentials have steadily worsened in recent decades. With few chances at well-paying jobs, millions give up on school and withdraw from the labor force. Helping low-skilled young adults access training…

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    Project