Policymakers used additional state and federal resources during the pandemic to make a significant investment in the state’s workforce development system. These workforce investments all share a common goal; to address labor shortages in critical sectors and support vocational training programs for underemployed, unemployed, and eligible youth populations. After providing an overview of significant workforce investments in the COVID bills, several themes emerge.

Most Important Things to Know

The following brief provides an analysis of state workforce investments in state budgets from FY 2019 to FY 2023 organized in MTF’s training opportunities for state-serving populations workforce category. As MTF noted in our earlier introductory brief, these programs provide workforce-related support services to populations involved with other state services (i.e. Department of Developmental Services clients or families receiving cash assistance from the Department of Transitional Assistance).

The following brief provides an analysis of state workforce investments in the FY 2019 to FY 2023 budgets focusing on sector-based training programs. As MTF noted in our earlier introductory brief, these programs prioritize creating talent pipelines to critical job sectors by providing financial assistance for training and streamlined credentialing courses. The brief provides an overview of sector-based programs and highlights the five largest programs that represent two-thirds of all funding within this category in FY 2023.

The State’s Workforce Investments – Most Important Things to Know