Transitional Jobs Tools and Resources

This paper – coauthored by Cliff Johnson, executive director of NLC's YEF Institute; Amy Rynell, director of the National Transitional Jobs Network; and Melissa Young, associate director of the National Transitional Jobs Project –makes the case for using public-service employment (PSE) and transitional jobs (TJ) programs to combat economic recession and advance long-term workforce development goals.  The paper was originally presented at an Urban Institute conference on Reducing Poverty and Economic Distress after ARRA held in January 2010.
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The State of City Leadership for Children and Families: Innovations and Trends in Family Economic Success

The State of City Leadership for Children and Families is a groundbreaking new report from NLC's Institute for Youth, Education, and Families that identifies the nation's most cutting-edge city strategies to help children and families thrive.

This chapter highlights the broad range of innovations and trends in municipal leadership to promote family economic success.
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Transitional Jobs: A Workforce Strategy for Cities (2006)

Transitional jobs programs provide a framework for cities to serve those with significant barriers to employment. These programs provide subsidized, time-limited, wage-paying jobs – typically in public and nonprofit agencies – combined with skill development activities and related support services, to help participants be hired in and retain unsubsidized jobs.

This report describes lessons learned during NLC's 2002-04 Transitional Jobs technical assistance project, in which nine cities designed transitional jobs programs to help residents overcome significant barriers to work.
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Financing Transitional Jobs: A Strategic Guide to Federal Financing Sources (2003)

This report, produced in partnership with the Finance Project, explores federal funding sources and financing options for transitional jobs programs that serve three populations often targeted by the programs: ex-offenders, homeless individuals, and youth.

The strategy brief is designed to help local leaders seeking funding to develop, sustain, or expand transitional jobs programs. The report outlines the cost structure of transitional jobs programs, describes these programs as a policy strategy, and provides information on federal funding sources.
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Leaving Young Workers Behind (2003)

This report presents conclusions from research on youth employment in the U.S. labor force conducted by Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies in 2003.

The report highlights several troubling reserach findings: how young Americans were hit hardest by the 2001-03 economic downturn, how over the long term young men are facing falling earnings, how joblessness and underemployment are widespread among young adults, how growing numbers of young immigrants pose additional challenges, and how fewer high school students are able to gain a foothold in the job market.
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Nation's Cities Weekly Articles

NLC's Nation's Cities Weekly newspaper regularly features articles on how city leaders are helping families achieve financial stability.
View the Nation's Cities Weekly Archives for Articles About Family Economic Success »