Harnessing Evidence to Advance Equity in Career Pathways

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

This panel includes three papers reporting current projects funded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) that examine key aspects of career pathways programs designed to strengthen employment outcomes for low-income populations. Each paper leverages secondary data and advanced statistical methods to address urgent policy questions surrounding career pathways programs aimed at improving employment outcomes for low-income populations. Drawing on data from the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) and/or the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) initiatives, these studies highlight how rigorous evidence can be forged through partnership—between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners—to support more equitable and effective employment interventions. The panel emphasizes methodological innovation, equity-focused analysis, and policy relevance, offering valuable insights for designing future workforce systems that are both adaptable and inclusive.

The first paper (Hetling, Walsh, & Coty) examines the coproduction of frontline workers and participants as they navigate similar barriers in their effort to deliver or receive successful services. This study employs two parallel analyses that explore the relationship between the perceptions and experiences of program participants and staff, and program implementation approaches. Using a sentiment analysis of participant interviews and quantitative analysis of staff survey data, this paper identifies how participant experiences and staff training and confidence shape program outcomes.

In the second paper (Palmer, Collins, Connolly, & Potter) examines predictors of connection to school and/or work trajectories among young adults experiencing low-incomes. Currently, we know little about whether having access to career pathways programs is related to consistent connection to school and/or work over time, particularly when controlling for other factors that affect school and work connections. This study uses growth mixture modeling to identify developmental trajectories of connectedness and then examines associations between having access to a career pathways program and trajectory membership while controlling for socio-demographic factors measured at baseline.

In the final paper, Honoroff and colleagues examine how the structure of childcare provision shape service take-up and short-term outcomes using a sample of HPOG 2.0 participants with dependent children. Parents make up a large share of participants in career pathways programs, yet childcare remains a critical and underexplored support. The study finds that childcare take-up was highest in grantee programs who offered direct childcare compared to grantees that offered childcare through partnerships, referrals, and some combination of the three. Further, direct service had the greatest impact on certification after 15 months compared to the other modes of childcare support but there was no effect on employment in healthcare. These findings highlight the importance of service delivery for supporting parents in education and training programs.  

Together, these papers offer nuanced, evidence-based insights that deepen our understanding of career pathways and their effectiveness. By leveraging rich data sources, they contribute critical knowledge to inform the design, scaling, and refinement of education and training programs that support economic mobility for low-income and underserved populations in high demand occupations.

Policy Area

• Employment and Training Programs

Chair

• Andrea Hetling, Rutgers University - New Brunswick

Discussant

• Laura Peck, Rutgers University

Organizer

• Stephanie Walsh, Rutgers University - New Brunswick

Individual Presentations

• Co-Production in Practice: Alignment of Participant and Staff Perspectives in Workforce Development - Presenting Author: Stephanie Walsh, Rutgers University - New Brunswick; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Andrea Hetling, Rutgers University - New Brunswick

• Predictors of trajectories of connection to school and/or work among U.S. young adults experiencing low-incomes - Presenting Author: Ashley N Palmer, Texas Christian University, Department of Social Work; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Mary E Collins, Boston University; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Deidre Potter, Texas Christian University, Department of Social Work

• Exploring the Role of Child Care in Parents’ Certification and Employment Success - Presenting Author: Julia Honoroff, University of Pennsylvania

• Transforming Adult Education: Bridges to Opportunity in Illinois - Presenting Author: Neha Nanda, American Institutes for Research (AIR)