90002-Standard Job Club ve

Study Name

Standard Job Club versus Fast Track Job Club

Study Sharepoint ID

90002

Evaluation name

The Job Search Assistance Strategies Evaluation

This study received a high study quality rating because it is a low-attrition randomized controlled trial with no known issues that suggest the findings cannot be attributed to the intervention.

Design

Randomized controlled trial

Services

Soft skills training

Work readiness activities

Job search assistance

Populations targeted

Cash assistance recipients

Settings in which the intervention was studied

Tested in multiple settings

Demographics

Count age

Count Young Adults

Count Hard-to-employ

Count Disability

Count chronically ill

Count mentally ill

Count substance dependent

Count formerly incarcerated

Count Justice involved

Count limited work history

Count homeless

Count immigrants

Count refugees

Count veterans

Count female

342

Count Male

150

Count Any postsecondary education

205

Count With a high school diploma or GED

168

Count No high school diploma or GED

119

Count Married

Count Parents

Count Single Parents

Count Non-Custodial Parents

Count Employed

Count Self employed

Count Unemployed

Count Disconnected/discouraged workers

Count general low-income population

493

Count Very low income (as classified by the authors)

Count welfare population

Count long-term welfare recipients

323

Count Asian

Count Black or African American

174

Count Hispanic or Latino of any race

Count American Indian or Alaska Native

Count Pacific islander

Count White

167

Count More than one race

Count unknown or not reported

Count another race

Percent female

69.50

Percent Male

30.50

Percent Any postsecondary education

41.60

Percent No high school diploma or GED

24.20

Percent With a high school diploma or GED

75.80

Percent welfare population

100.00

Percent long-term welfare recipients

65.60

Percent Black or African American

35.40

Percent Hispanic or Latino of any race

15.40

Percent White not Hispanic

33.90

Percent Unknown or not reported

15.30

Study Characteristics

Group formation formatted

This study is a randomized controlled trial. To qualify for study enrollment, individuals had to (1) be enrolled in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) cash assistance program, (2) not previously have completed a Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance (DHA) job club, (3) have been deemed a suitable candidate by program staff, and (4) consent to study participation. Random assignment took place from 2016 to 2018, with 493 participants randomly assigned to either the intervention condition (Standard Job Club) or the comparison condition (Fast Track Job Club).

Study timing formatted

Study participants were randomly assigned between April 2016 and July 2017. The study followed participants for three quarters after they completed the eight-week program.

Study funding formatted

Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, within ACF at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Sample Characteristics

All participants received public welfare benefits via CalWORKs. Most (70 percent) participants identified as female, 35 percent of participants identified as Black, 34 percent identified as White, and 15 percent identified as Hispanic (15 percent of participants did not disclose their race). About one-quarter (24 percent) of participants lacked a high-school diploma or equivalent certificate, whereas about 42 percent had at least some college education. Average earnings in the year before random assignment were around $6,800.

Implementing organization formatted

Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance (DHA)

Program history

Both the Standard Job Club and Fast Track Job Club began operations in 2016. Sacramento County's DHA developed and operated both programs.

Treatment condition formatted

Intervention group members enrolled in a Standard Job Club. This consisted of an eight-week program broken into three-week and five-week segments. The first segment required that enrollees attend one week of daily eight-hour group classes on workplace behavior skills and two weeks of daily eight-hour group classes on job-search skills. The second segment required that enrollees complete five weeks of supervised job search. During this time, enrollees had to make daily trips to the Standard Job Club office, where they receive individual assistance from program staff.

Comparison condition formatted

Comparison group members enrolled in a Fast Track Job Club. The eight-week program was broken into three-and-one-half-day and seven-week segments. The first segment required that enrollees attend three days of eight-hour daily group classes on job-search skills and one half day of individual meetings and activities with Fast Track Job Club staff. The second segment required that enrollees complete seven weeks of independent job search. During this time, enrollees had to make weekly trips to the Fast Track Job Club office to meet with program staff. Noncompliance with the program could lead to enrollees losing part of their cash assistance.

Mandatory services formatted

Noncompliance with the program could lead to enrollees losing part of their CalWORKS cash assistance benefit.

Timing of study formatted

Both the Standard Job Club and Fast Track Job Club were eight-week programs.

Program funding formatted

CalWorks (California Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

Setting details formatted

This study took place in Sacramento, CA. Services were provided at eight Sacramento County DHA offices.

Delivered by public or private entity?

Public

Secondary domains examined

Job quality

Citations/manuscripts

Earliest publication year

2019

Most recent publication year

2020

Manuscripts

90003

90002

SRG File Path

https://test.org

Check edits flag

Primary Service

Work readiness acitvities

Enrollment Period

April 2016 to September 2017

Intervention Duration

2.00