In Simple Words
The Sectoral Employment Impact Study evaluates mature sectoral training programs that act as dedicated launchpads into specific growing industries. Program providers partner directly with local employers to identify in-demand jobs, design short-term technical courses that lead to official certifications, and deliver hands-on career readiness training to ensure job seekers transition into stable, high-wage roles.
Low-wage job seekers in three US programs
- Without the sectoral program
- 60% employed in year two
- With the sectoral program
- 70% employed in year two
The SEIS evaluation found year-two employment of 70% among sectoral-program participants and 60% in the control group, a reported 10 percentage point difference across the three programs.
See source →Research question
Non-college educated and low-wage workers encounter substantial barriers to entering high-paying fields due to lack of industry-recognized credentials and targeted occupational skills. Traditional employment services fail to deliver persistent wage gains because they place workers in low-wage, non-sectoral positions.
Participants
Human low-wage adult job seekers across three mature sectoral programs: Per Scholas (Bronx, NY), Jewish Vocational Service (Boston, MA), and Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (Milwaukee, WI).
Study Design
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluated by Maguire et al. (2010), tracking participant earnings, employment persistence, hourly wage rates, and job benefits over a 2-year evaluation period.
Results
Over two years, participants earned $4,500 more (an 18% increase, p < 0.01) than control group members, with Year 2 earnings $4,000 higher (a 29% increase, p < 0.01). Year 2 employment reached 70% compared to 60% for the control group (a 10 percentage point increase, p < 0.01). Participants were 14 percentage points more likely to work jobs paying at least $11/hour (59% vs. 45%, p < 0.01) and 10 percentage points more likely to secure jobs offering benefits (57% vs. 47%, p < 0.01).
Takeaway
Design sector-focused training initiatives in collaboration with local employers that lead directly to industry-recognized certifications in healthcare, IT, and manufacturing.
Source and citation
See source →Read alongside the research
Plain-English glossary
Original explanations, informed by the references below. Examples are illustrations, not data from the studies above. The research text stays unchanged.
- Percentage points
The difference between two percentages.
ExampleA rise from 40% to 50% is 10 percentage points. Relative to the starting value, that is a 25% increase.
Office for National Statistics · Percentages ↗Read more about percentage points →- Randomized controlled trial
A study that uses chance, like drawing lots, to decide who receives each option being compared. Researchers compare the groups’ outcomes to estimate the effect of those options.
ExampleA lottery assigns volunteers to a training programme or a comparison group. Researchers then compare their outcomes.
GET-IT glossary · Randomized study ↗Read more about randomized controlled trial →