Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Vocational Research Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The Vocational Research Assistant supports vocational rehabilitation, workforce development, and career services teams by conducting labor market and occupational research, collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, preparing evidence-based reports, and delivering practical insights to inform program design, client career planning, and policy decisions. The role requires strong research methods, hands-on data skills, stakeholder communication, and an emphasis on translating data into actionable vocational guidance and program improvements.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Research Assistant or Research Intern in social sciences, public policy, or workforce development.
Career Services or Employment Specialist roles with evidence/gathering responsibilities.
Data Analyst or Program Assistant supporting labor market research or vocational programs.

Advancement To:

Vocational Researcher / Research Analyst (Vocational/Workforce focus)
Senior Workforce Development Analyst or Program Evaluation Specialist
Vocational Rehabilitation Program Manager or Policy Analyst

Lateral Moves:

Workforce Development Specialist
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Data Analyst (employment/labor market focus)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design, implement, and manage comprehensive labor market scans that synthesize occupational demand, wage trends, growth projections, and employer hiring patterns to inform vocational training priorities and client career pathways.
Conduct quantitative analysis of workforce datasets using statistical tools (e.g., R, Stata, SPSS, Python, Excel) to identify employment outcomes, program impact, and barriers to employment for specific populations.
Develop and administer surveys and structured interview protocols to collect primary data from employers, program participants, training providers, and community stakeholders; analyze responses to produce evidence-based recommendations.
Prepare clear, professional research deliverables including technical reports, executive summaries, policy briefs, slide decks, and data visualizations tailored to funders, program managers, counselors, and external partners.
Extract, clean, and maintain longitudinal and cross-sectional datasets from public sources (BLS, Census, O*NET, state LMI, EMSI) and internal case management systems to support vocational outcome tracking and program evaluation.
Perform qualitative data analysis—coding interview transcripts, focus group notes, and case records—using frameworks that surface themes related to job readiness, training effectiveness, employer needs, and systemic barriers.
Support vocational assessment processes by compiling occupational profiles, credential requirements, typical career ladders, and local labor market fit for individual clients and cohorts.
Collaborate with vocational counselors and case managers to translate research findings into individualized job search strategies, training referrals, and employer engagement plans that improve placement rates.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of regional industry clusters, emerging occupations, and credentialing changes to proactively advise on curriculum adjustments and stackable credential strategies.
Monitor program performance metrics and KPIs, produce monthly and quarterly dashboards, and provide actionable insights to improve retention, credential attainment, and employment outcomes.
Support grant applications and compliance reporting by assembling evidence, drafting methodology sections, and producing impact narratives that reflect program effectiveness and alignment with funding objectives.
Contribute to the development and piloting of new assessment tools, career exploration resources, and digital dashboards designed to improve client self-service and counselor decision-making.
Conduct employer outreach research to identify hiring pipelines, apprenticeship opportunities, and partnership prospects; prepare employer briefs and targeted talking points for business engagement.
Provide methodological support for randomized or quasi-experimental program evaluations, including sample selection, matching procedures, and measurement strategy to ensure credible impact estimates.
Ensure data integrity and confidentiality by following data protection policies, managing secure storage, and implementing data governance protocols for sensitive client and program information.
Coordinate with external research partners, academic collaborators, and state LMI units to share data, harmonize metrics, and co-author publications or presentations for conferences.
Translate complex statistical results into plain-language insights and infographics for clients, funders, and non-technical stakeholders to maximize comprehension and practical use.
Evaluate training provider performance by linking credential and course completion records to subsequent employment and wage outcomes, and generate provider scorecards to support procurement decisions.
Track policy developments, labor market initiatives, and funding opportunities relevant to vocational rehabilitation and workforce systems; summarize implications and recommended actions for leadership.
Provide frontline support for vocational research projects by scheduling interviews, conducting literature reviews, organizing reference libraries, and maintaining project timelines and version control for deliverables.
Facilitate knowledge transfer workshops and staff briefings to ensure that counselors and program teams can apply research findings in day-to-day career planning and employer engagement activities.
Assist in developing and refining target outcomes and logic models for new vocational programs, ensuring measurable objectives and clear evaluation plans are embedded in program design.
Perform ad-hoc deep-dive analyses into specific occupational sectors or demographic cohorts (e.g., veterans, youth, individuals with disabilities) to inform targeted interventions and equity-focused programming.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to respond to stakeholder questions, funding inquiries, and executive information needs.
Contribute to the organization's research plan and data strategy by proposing new data sources, analytic approaches, and measurement improvements aligned with vocational goals.
Collaborate with program teams to translate research questions into data collection instruments and engineering/IT requirements for dashboards and case management integrations.
Participate in project management activities including sprint planning, agile ceremonies, status reporting, and cross-functional meetings to deliver research outputs on time and within scope.
Maintain documentation of methodologies, codebooks, and reproducible analysis pipelines to ensure transparency and scalability of research efforts.
Assist with training internal users on data interpretation, basic LMI navigation, and use of research products to improve frontline decision-making.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced proficiency in spreadsheet analysis and modeling (Excel: pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Power Query, advanced formulas).
Statistical analysis and data manipulation using R, Python (pandas), Stata, or SPSS for descriptive and inferential analyses.
Experience with survey design and administration platforms (Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, REDCap) and best practices for sampling and response bias mitigation.
Familiarity with labor market and occupational data sources (BLS, O*NET, EMSI/Lightcast, state LMI portals, LEHD/OnTheMap).
Data cleaning, ETL, and database querying skills including SQL and basic knowledge of relational databases.
Data visualization and dashboarding skills using tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or ggplot/seaborn to communicate trends and findings effectively.
Qualitative analysis skills and experience with coding tools (NVivo, Atlas.ti) and thematic analysis methodologies.
Experience developing performance metrics, KPIs, and evaluation frameworks for workforce programs and training providers.
Knowledge of vocational assessment instruments, credential frameworks, and competency mapping to occupational standards.
Strong technical writing skills for producing research reports, grant narratives, and policy briefs with reproducible methods and transparent limitations.
Familiarity with data privacy, ethical research practices, and secure handling of personally identifiable information (PII) in compliance with organizational and legal standards.

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex data into actionable, plain-language recommendations.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy in data handling, documentation, and report generation.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced, stakeholder-driven environment.
Collaborative team player who can work across counseling, program, and IT teams to operationalize research findings.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to design pragmatic research approaches that support program improvement.
Cultural competence and sensitivity when working with diverse populations, including people with disabilities and underrepresented groups.
Initiative and intellectual curiosity to identify new research questions and data sources that add program value.
Effective stakeholder engagement and interviewing skills for eliciting insights from employers, trainees, and community partners.
Adaptability and openness to iterative research methods, pilot testing, and continuous improvement based on feedback.
Ethical judgment and professional integrity in data use, attribution, and reporting.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as sociology, economics, public policy, social work, rehabilitation counseling, workforce development, statistics, or a related social science.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in public policy, labor economics, rehabilitation counseling, social research methods, program evaluation, or related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Labor Economics / Industrial Relations
Public Policy / Public Administration
Rehabilitation Counseling / Social Work
Statistics / Applied Social Research
Workforce Development / Career Services

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–4 years of applied research, data analysis, or workforce development experience; may include internships with relevant public agencies, non-profits, or academic research projects.

Preferred:

2–5 years of experience conducting labor market research, vocational assessments, program evaluation, or applied social research in a workforce development, vocational rehabilitation, higher education, or government setting.
Prior experience producing findings for non-technical audiences, supporting grant reporting, and working with workforce case management systems is highly desirable.