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Molly M. Scott
SHE/HER/HERS
Senior Fellow, Research
Director, Retail Opportunity Network
Work, Education, and Labor​ Division Apprenticeships and Labor Markets
Earlier in my career, I did a lot of community work and met countless people who worked hard, took out debt to go to school, and still could barely keep their heads above water. It shouldn't be that way. That's why I work on how we can make jobs better and ensure education and training pays off.

Molly M. Scott is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. Her work centers around the labor market dynamics, policies, and business practices that shape access to opportunity and return on investment in education for workers. Scott directs the facilitation team for the Retail Opportunity Network, a community of practice working to boost economic mobility for retail workers. She also leads a Gates Foundation learning partnership with institutions working to improve job quality at scale among small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, Scott served on an expert panel assisting the US Department of Commerce in defining and operationalizing job quality. Her expertise includes business engagement, advancement practices for frontline workers, levers for providing businesses incentives to improve job quality, labor market and job analysis, and credential return on investment. 

Scott holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Los Angeles, and was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Chile.

Research and Evidence
Work, Education, and Labor
Expertise
Labor Markets Transition-Age Young People Immigration
Tags
Neighborhoods and youth development Beyond high school: education and training Evidence-based policy capacity Immigrant communities and racial equity Families with low incomes Racial barriers to accessing the safety net Racial equity in education Racial inequities in neighborhoods and community development Federal evaluation forum Job markets and labor force Job quality and workplace standards Employer engagement Employment and education Postsecondary education and training