Julia Payne is a research associate in the Work, Education, and Labor Division at the Urban Institute. Her research focuses on workforce development strategies and policies to support low-income mothers and student-parents. Her work supports qualitative and quantitative research on topics including youth career pathways, apprenticeship, equity in career and technical education, equity in economic recovery, and opportunities to better support low-income families. She holds a master’s in public policy from the University of Virginia.