JFF defines Best Bets as postsecondary programs of study that have all of the following features:
- They are accessible to students
- They meet students’ interests
- They pay off quickly in a credential with value in the labor marketÂ
- They have evidence of retention and placement in well-paying jobs with the potential for advancement
To find Best Bets in a certain region, JFF triangulates information across three key areas:
- First, we analyze traditional and real-time labor market data and interviewed organizations with valuable regional expertise to identify potential Best Bet occupations.
- Second, we identify training programs within and outside of postsecondary institutions in the region; interviewed program directors/coordinators; and selected programs that are accessible to and supportive of our student population, and that lead to credentials with labor market value.
- Third, we interview regional employers who hire graduates of these training programs and/or who hire for this kind of work to verify demand in the region and to learn about typical screening requirements, skills they seek, entry pay, advancement opportunities, etc.
