Sectoral Employment Impact Study (SEIS)
RCTReview
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.
Picture this
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.
What the evidence says
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).
- Who was studied
- 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).
- How
- 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.
What to do
Design sector-focused training initiatives in collaboration with local employers that lead directly to industry-recognized certifications in healthcare, IT, and manufacturing.
From the source
"Participants across all three programs earned a significant amount-$4,500 (an 18 percent increase) -more than those in the control group over the two year study period."
Evidence-Review_Sectoral-Employment_2222022_0.pdf