MDRC and Ascendium Education Group have launched the Sector Training Evidence-Building Project (STEP), a new effort to invest in the next generation of evidence-building for sectoral training programs led by nonprofit organizations. STEP will select, fund, and support projects that will advance high-quality research to produce evidence that is relevant to both individual providers and the field at large.

Sectoral programs train people for quality jobs in specific industries and occupational clusters where there is strong employer demand and the opportunity for career advancement. Rigorous research shows that sectoral training programs can meaningfully and sustainably improve participants’ earnings, but only a few programs have been shown to do so, and it is unclear what is driving the effectiveness of those programs. New evidence on the critical elements of sector programs, and how successful models operate and for whom, will help more sector programs effectively serve more and different types of job seekers with low incomes. 

Grantees will form partnerships between researchers and sector program providers to build evidence in two areas: (1) determining the key elements needed to implement or expand access to effective sector programs and (2) assessing the effectiveness of sector programs that have not been rigorously evaluated and can expand understanding of the sector model.

Grants will be funded for three to five years, during which grantees will participate in a community of practice managed by MDRC. Funding awards will vary from $250,000 to $2,000,000 based on the length and proposed research methods of the project. Awards will be made in spring 2025.

MDRC will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) on September 30, 2024.

Researchers and sector program providers interested in participating in STEP can register for an informational webinar on October 9, 2024, at 1pm (CT)/2pm (ET).