MEF Associates is partnered with the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) for a study on how employer engagement strategies influence jobseeker outcomes in the clean energy sector. The work is part of the the Sector Training Evidence-Building Project (STEP), a collaboration between Ascendium Education Group and MDRC, which aims to invest in the next generation of evidence-building for sectoral training programs led by nonprofit organizations.
The study will focus on a network of 40-60 clean energy training providers across the U.S., in IREC’s network, and in the fields of solar and home weatherization. The study is a quasi-experimental design identifying which employer engagement strategies—such as internships, curriculum co-design, or hiring commitments—are most strongly associated with improved participant labor market outcomes.
Research Questions
1. What employer engagement strategies do IREC’s accredited/affiliated training providers use, and how do these form distinct profiles of provider-employer partnerships?
2. To what extent are these partnership profiles associated with favorable participant outcomes, both overall and for key population sub-groups?