About the Study
In 2023, the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) partnered with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) to fund contractor Abt Global (Abt) and its subcontractors, MDRC, Social Policy Research Associates (SPR), and Trewon Technologies, to conduct the Sectoral Strategies and Employer Engagement Portfolio Services Project (SSEEP). This Portfolio’s objectives are to build evidence on how sectoral strategies can engage employers, promote job quality, and diversify and support the workforce, especially from populations that have historically been excluded from high quality jobs. This project includes: (1) an initial knowledge building task with a literature scan and formative study to provide an understanding of the current state of the evidence, help identify promising approaches, and identify priorities for research based on evidence gaps; (2) implementation studies that will provide a broad and deep understanding of the services grantees’ programs offer, coordination across partners including with employers, and participant experiences; and (3) preliminary evaluability assessments that will identify promising research options and candidate sites for impact and cost-benefit analyses.
SSEEP includes three grant programs. The Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program (BPIJG) includes 34 grantees implementing sectoral strategies in renewable energy, transportation, and broadband infrastructure. The Nursing Expansion Grant Program (NEG) includes 25 grantees implementing strategies in the healthcare sector. The Critical Sector Job Quality Grant Program (CSJQ) includes 12 grantees piloting strategies in the care, climate resiliency, and hospitality sectors.
This Department of Labor-funded project was a result of the annual process to determine the department’s research priorities for the upcoming year. It contributes to the labor evidence-base to inform employment and training programs and policies and addresses Departmental strategic goals and priorities.
- How are BPIJG, NEG, and CSJQ programs being implemented across grantees?
- What strategies do grantees use to reduce barriers to employment and support the attraction, retainment, and advancement of members of populations that have historically been marginalized or underrepresented in targeted sectors?
- How are employer engagement strategies incentivized, organized, and implemented through sector partnerships?
- What strategies do grantees use to incorporate worker voice?
- What strategies do grantees use to improve job quality and the availability of good jobs?
- What do we know about the effectiveness of sectoral strategies?
Project Duration: 60 months
Contract End Date: September 2028
Contractors: Abt Global
For More Information: ChiefEvaluationOffice@dol.gov
The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy. CEO’s research development process includes extensive technical review at the design, data collection and analysis stage, including: external contractor review and OMB review and approval of data collection methods and instruments per the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Institutional Review Board (IRB) review to ensure studies adhere to the highest ethical standards, review by academic peers (e.g., Technical Working Groups), and inputs from relevant DOL agency and program officials and CEO technical staff. Final reports undergo an additional independent expert technical review and a review for Section 508 compliance prior to publication. The resulting reports represent findings from this independent research and do not represent DOL positions or policies.