Year Up Young Adult Job Training Program
Year Up / Social Policy Research Associates / Harvard · United States · 2018
Summary
Year Up is one of the few job training programs with a lottery-based RCT showing sustained, large earnings effects. The 30% earnings increase at three years is among the largest ever recorded for a short-duration workforce program — and unlike many training evaluations, the effect did not fade. The key design features that distinguish Year Up from ineffective training programs: employer-driven curriculum designed around real job openings, real internships with real employers, and intensive professional skill development alongside technical training. The experiment directly challenges the common finding that job training doesn't work: the question is not whether training works, but whether the training is connected to actual employer demand.
Research question
"Does an intensive 6-month sectoral job training and internship program increase long-term earnings for young adults disconnected from education and employment?"
Methodology
Intervention
Young adults aged 18–24 from low-income backgrounds completed 6-month program: 3 months technical and professional skills training, 3-month corporate internship; lottery-selected from oversubscribed program
Assignment
Lottery-based randomized controlled trial (oversubscribed program admissions)
Sample size
2,544 young adults across 8 program sites
Primary outcome
Quarterly earnings; employment rate; benefits eligibility at 3-year follow-up
Effect estimate
Quarterly earnings: +$1,000/quarter (+30%) at 3-year follow-up; annual earnings advantage: ~$4,500; employment rate: +11 pp; effect sustained through year 5 in extended follow-up
Decision
Year Up expanded from 3 to 30+ sites; partnership with JPMorgan Chase provided scaled funding; program design influenced federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act guidance on sectoral training; extended to 8-year follow-up in 2023
Result
Positive
Quarterly earnings: +$1,000/quarter (+30%) at 3-year follow-up; annual earnings advantage: ~$4,500; employment rate: +11 pp; effect sustained through year 5 in extended follow-up
Evidence strength
Strong
Randomized controlled trial with large sample.
Replication status
Partially replicated
Institution
Year Up / Social Policy Research Associates / Harvard
Location
United States
Year
2018
Policy area
Education
Mechanism
Human capital