Sector Strategies

What are sector strategies? Sector strategies focus on an industry's local or regional workforce needs through the identification of needs, education development, training or other strategies, and the implementation and coordination of services. Sector strategies aim to effect long-term changes benefiting both employers and workers, often involving systemic change.

Who provides sector strategies? Sector strategies are often led by workforce intermediaries that bring multiple stakeholders together in an industry. Workforce intermediaries can be public agencies, nonprofits, labor unions, or other organizations established specifically to coordinate these services and partners within an industry. 

Why are sector strategies important? Through close collaboration with employers and deep understanding of industry trends and needs, sectoral strategies aim to meet employers’ and workers’ current and future demands. These initiatives also aim to increase industry competition and advance the employment of low- and middle-income workers by aligning education and training provided in local workforce systems with the skills workers need to meet employers’ human resources needs. With evidence of positive effects for participants in sector-based training programs, federal policy and programs are increasingly focusing on these strategies. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act encourages sector strategies and partnerships, and state governments have implemented sectoral strategies to meet employers’ and job seekers’ workforce needs.