Using Data in Decision Making

Many local workforce system organizations and programs collect, analyze, and disseminate data to identify needs, inform policymaking, measure program progress, and improve programs.

Strategies using data to inform and improve local workforce system activities include the following:

• Data sharing of participant information between agencies and organizations to allow education, training, and employment programs to better meet participant needs and examine participant outcomes, such as educational attainment, job attainment, and wages
• Labor market information analysis to identify local area employment growth by sector and potential skills gaps in the local workforce
• Performance measurement to help education, training, and employment programs identify successes and challenges and improve
• Evaluation of programs to determine effectiveness or return on investment, leading to additional funding, program changes, or program replication