Sectoral Employment Impact Study

About this grant

While assisting low-income and unemployed people to find jobs with little preparation or skill building is effective in a demand-driven economy, sectoral employment development suggests that developing skills in specific industries can aid job retention and wage growth when the economy slows. Even in recessionary times, there is a need for skilled workers.Multiyear funding will support a performance evaluation on the impact of sectoral employment training. Training will be provided in various office careers and results of the evaluation will be used to inform public policy on the effectiveness of sectoral employment training. Specific objectives include enrolling 225 low-income participants in office skills training; referring 225 low-income participants seeking office skills training to other programs in the community; placing 90 percent or more of the graduates into employment paying an average of $11.50 per hour; and assisting at least 160 of the placed employees to retain their jobs or advance to other jobs in their industry after 24 months of employment.The mission of Jewish Vocational Services is to create a productive workforce by providing training and support to low-income individuals. The organization has provided workforce development services to the Boston area for more than 60 years. It is one of three national demonstration sites selected for the evaluation.