The WorkAdvance model includes five key elements: (1) intensive screening before enrollment; (2) preemployment and work-readiness services, including career coaching, supportive services, and labor market information, all tailored to a specific occupational sector; (3) occupational skills training focused on current job openings; (4) job development and placement; and (5) provision of follow-up retention and advancement services in collaboration with employers. It is a versatile model that organizations implement in various ways.
St. Nick’s Alliance, a New York City social services agency in Brooklyn, NY, implemented the WorkAdvance model with an emphasis on the environmental remediation and pest control sectors. St. Nick’s implemented a training-first approach in which participants received occupational skills training before seeking employment. St. Nick’s Alliance delivered preemployment services in 9 sessions of 4 hours each, and occupational skills training lasted 5 to 12 weeks. Preemployment coaching consisted of one-on-one sessions, and coaches followed up with participants two to three times per week during the job search process. Supportive services included transportation and child care assistance. WorkAdvance focused on recruiting individuals ages 18 or older who were legally allowed to work in the United States, had a monthly family income less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and earned less than $15 per hour, if employed.
WorkAdvance is a sector-based workforce development model whose design was informed by prior research on sector strategies and career advancement. St. Nick’s Alliance WorkAdvance is a version of the WorkAdvance model. Three other sites implemented the WorkAdvance model for the WorkAdvance demonstration, each with differing length, breadth, and depth of services: Madison Strategies Group in Tulsa, OK; Towards Employment in northeast Ohio; and Per Scholas in the Bronx, New York City.
The WorkAdvance model aims to meet the needs of less-skilled workers and local employers by providing training and employment services in fields with high local demand.