Setting Achievable Training and Employment Goals and Demonstrating Progress

The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) established the Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI) to help parents gain the training and education needed to increase their skills to obtain or advance in jobs in high-growth industries that often rely on visas to hire skilled foreign workers. SWFI grantees aimed to increase access to education and training by mitigating barriers that parents face, especially barriers to child care. To achieve SWFI’s ambitious goals, grantees also sought to create sustainable local changes to help families navigate the workforce and child care systems after the grants end. This brief shares lessons learned from SWFI grantees about setting achievable performance goals and demonstrating progress toward those goals.