Identifying Pathways to Good Jobs
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The problem: Pathways to good jobs—jobs that are stable, meaningful, and provide family-sustaining wages—exist but can be hard to identify or access. In addition, workers face an increasingly broad array of education and training options such as apprenticeships, bootcamps, and technical colleges—with little public evidence on the return on investment.
What are good jobs? Researchers have been looking at issues such as what skills are required to get a good job, how workers value working conditions, and how post-secondary credentials impact earnings. One groundbreaking study used a nationally representative survey to collect detailed information on conditions in the American workplace, providing the first portrait of U.S. job quality.
Innovative pathways: Researchers have also been at the forefront of examining new training opportunities, including stackable credentials, as a more-accessible way to boost earning potential.
Obstacles to access and success: Studies have examined workers who face challenges in the labor market including those who have limited training or who are low-income, low-tech, and disabled—to better understand what approaches produce positive employment and wage outcomes.