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Combine occupational training with an employer internship and layered supports to improve early career earnings for disadvantaged young adults

Design · All designs
Evidence · 2 claims (1 for, 1 mixed) · 3 studies (2 causal, 1 quant-synthesis), q3 · 2 of 3 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description

The reviewed evidence indicates that a program model pairing full-time technical training with a subsequent employer internship, wrapped in advising, mentoring, stipends, and post-program placement services, can substantially raise short-term earnings for low-income young adults. The WWC judged this combination likely to increase short-term earnings, with an improvement index of +28 percentile points across two randomized trials. The model embeds work-based learning directly into occupational instruction and connects participants to employers in their target occupational fields.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

  • Six months of full-time occupational and technical training aligned to employer needs
  • A six-month internship placement in the student's selected occupational field
  • Ongoing supports including advising, mentoring, and financial assistance throughout the program

Constraints

  • The earnings advantage was demonstrated on short-term outcomes; medium-term earnings and employment showed no discernible effects, so the model's sustained impact beyond one year is not established by this evidence
  • Implementation depends on employer payments for interns, foundation grants, and charitable donations, which financed nearly all operating costs

Target Learners

  • Low-income young adults ages 18 to 24 with a high school diploma or equivalent

Learning Goals

  • Occupational and technical skills for entry-level positions in information technology and financial services
  • Professionalism and workplace behavior skills
  • Career planning, job search, and placement

Claims

Examples

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Key Sources

  • What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. (2021, November). Year Up. https://whatworks.ed.gov.
Page metadata
Field Value
type design
id training-plus-internship-with-supports-principle
title Combine occupational training with an employer internship and layered supports to improve early career earnings for disadvantaged young adults
description The reviewed evidence indicates that a program model pairing full-time technical training with a subsequent employer internship, wrapped in advising, mentoring, stipends, and post-program placement services, can subst...
status review
generated by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-09
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 1 — what-works-clearinghouse-institute-of

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