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
U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Servies
State, Local, & Tribal Organizations
Foundations, Philanthropies, and Community Organizations
Our Work
Finding the American Apprenticeship Initiative benefited both workers and employers, including in underrepresented industries and populations
Employer and employee surveys that assessed use and perceptions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), updated to reflect emerging policies
Evaluation of career pathways programs for less-educated workers that found increased employment in some industries but no meaningful earnings change
Study to determine effectiveness of a federal program that helps Unemployment Insurance claimants return to work more quickly
Literature review that found racial bias in each step of the employment process for lower-wage workers, from sourcing candidates to termination
Expansion and enhancement of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research
Our Experts
Insights
Uncovering Barriers in Employment to Expand Workforce Access
Racial bias can be present in any step of the employment process. That includes how jobs are advertised, applications are screened, tasks and work hours are assigned, mentoring is offered, compensation is set, and retention and promotion decisions are…
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.
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.
DOL Awards Abt Team Equitable Transition Models Evaluation Contract
The Department of Labor awarded an Abt-led team a five-year contract to evaluate workforce transition projects for youth and young adults with disabilities.
Reports Find Women and Low-Wage Workers Face Greater Hardship When Taking Family and Medical Leave
Abt Global reports find women fare worse than men and low-wage workers fare worse than non-low-wage workers when employees take family and medical leave.
Abt Team to Build Evidence on Sector Strategies and Employer Engagement Programs
The Department of Labor awarded an Abt Global-a contract to build evidence about sector training programs to improve outcomes and advance equity for workers
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…
RESEA Evidence-Building Week—A Celebration and Sharing of States’ RESEA Evaluation and Evidence-Building Efforts
Abt and partners are hosting a series to sharing evidence from states’ Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) Program evaluations.