Read more: What Works Cities Certification reaches milestone of more than 100 Certified cities

Workforce Fellows Resources

This page is a repository of resources curated for fellows, and continues to be updated throughout the course of the fellowship.
You can request to join the cohort’s Linkedin group here!
Cohort Directory

Fellowship Information

1. Fellowship Project Guidance

2. Fellowship Convening Materials (Updated As Convenings Occur)

3. Training Materials

4. Other RFA Initiatives

5. External Resource List

  • The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL): J-PAL is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of 262 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
  • Anti-Oppression Research & Training Alliance (AORTA): A worker-owned cooperative organization providing training and resources to support racial, gender, economic, environmental, and disability justice; trans and queer liberation; anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism through integration and practice of democratic principles.
  • The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is a nonpartisan forum conducting programming and research in areas including economic mobility, education, and justice, among others. 
  • BrightHive: A public benefit corporation offering a cloud-based platform to streamline cross-enterprise data sharing and collaboration.
  • Brookings: The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization conducting in-depth research on topics including economics, development, governance, and metropolitan policy.
  • Center for American Progress: A policy institute providing guidance and research to improve the lives of Americans through bold, progressive ideas as well as strong leadership and concerted action. 
  • Coleridge Initiative: A nonprofit organization providing technology and training to improve governments’ expertise in data analysis to ensure that data are more effectively used for evidence-based policy and decision-making. 
  • Data Quality Campaign (DQC): DQC is a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization providing accessible education and workforce data to individuals, families, educators, communities, and policymakers.
  • Data Quality Campaign – Federal Funding Overview: A publication by DQC offering a brief overview of federal funding streams.
  • Democracy at Work Institute: A national organization dedicated to building the field of worker cooperative development. Useful as a source for research, education and relationship-building. 
  • Economic Policy Institute (EPI): EPI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions. The organization is a useful resource for research and analysis on the economic status of working America as well as public policies that protect and improve the economic conditions of low- and middle-income workers.
  • Harvard Government Performance Lab (GPL): GPL supports state and local governments in designing and implementing solutions that reform and improve public services, from government spending through procurement to incorporating community voice. GPL’s research model involves capturing and sharing the insights, tools, and practices gained through these projects. 
  • Institute for Research on Labor and Employment: Offers a list of experts who can provide insightful analysis, opinions, and comment on a wide range of labor and employment issues, particularly low wage work. Useful resource for identifying contact information for an expert near you. 
  • Jobs for the Future (JFF): JFF drives transformation of the American workforce and education systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all through the incubation of creative approaches.
  • Maycomb Capital: An impact investing firm financing workforce development, early childhood, homelessness, healthcare, social services, and financial services strategies and enterprises. 
  • Mathematica: This organization is known for helping state and local governments, among others, to improve programs, refine strategies, and enhance understanding to improve public well-being.
  • Mathematica – Education to Workforce Indicator Framework: This tool leverages existing evidence to establish a common set of metrics and practices for education-to-workforce data systems to assess and address inequities along the pre-K-to-workforce continuum to enable students and workers to achieve economic mobility and security.
  • MDRC: National nonprofit, nonpartisan evaluation and policy research organization pubilshing large-scale randomized control trials (RCTs) and other evaluations. In addition, MDRC makes evaluations’ data sets available to researchers at no charge.
  • National Association of Workforce Boards: The National Association of Workforce Boards is a membership-based organization composed of workforce agencies across the country. The organization serves as a resource for thought leadership and policy advocacy on all aspects of workforce development and supportive services.
  • National Fund for Workforce Solutions: The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is a network of 30+ communities dedicated to an evidenced-based approach to workforce development.
  • National Skills Coalition: The Coalition drives inclusive policy development and builds networks of diverse stakeholders to help bring policies to life. 
  • PolicyLink: A national organization that accelerates the work of government leaders and community advocates by equipping them with actionable data and research to advance racial inclusion and equitable growth.
  • PolicyLink – All-In Cities: An initiative by PolicyLink useful for policy research, data, capacity-building, and technical assistance.
  • Project Evident: Builds evidence through a comprehensive platform of tools and resources, direct services, and talent solutions to improve clients’ skill sets in measurement, evaluation, and reporting.
  • RIPL: RIPL is a nonprofit that partners with governments to help them use data, science, and technology to improve policy, build capacity, and effectively measure outcomes.
  • Third Sector: A national nonprofit technical assistance organization supporting governments to re-envision how they fund social services and re-align public resources to move the needle on social problems.
  • Washington Center for Equitable Growth: This nonprofit research and grantmaking organization advances evidence-backed ideas and policies that promote strong, stable, and broad-based economic growth. 
  • The Urban Institute: A research organization that provides data and evidence to help advance upward mobility and equity. 
  • US Department of Commerce – Good Jobs Toolkit: An actionable tool that organizations can use to improve the quality of the jobs they offer by identifying and improving the drivers most valued by workers.
  • US Department of Labor – Clearinghouse for Labor and Evaluation Research (CLEAR): CLEAR supports greater access to research and evidence on labor topics by summarizing research and assessing the strength of design and methodology in studies that look at the effectiveness of particular policies and programs. 
  • US Department of Labor – Good Jobs Initiative: An initiative focused on providing critical information to workers, employers, and government to improve job quality and create access to good jobs.
  • The Workforce Benchmarking Network: An initiative of the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce. The network supports better and more equitable outcomes from community-based programs through a national data survey, capacity building, and peer learning around effective practices.