- Log in to post comments
Subgroups
Each YAIP provider recruited youth independently for the evaluation, focusing on young people from high-need areas in their communities. A total of 2,678 participants, ages 16 to 24, who were neither in school nor working, and who had been out of school for at least one semester, were enrolled into the YAIP evaluation in three cohorts. The first cohort was enrolled in July 2013, the second in November 2013, and the third in March 2014. The program excluded youth with reading skills below the sixth-grade level, and those with a postsecondary degree. After completing program applications and assessments, youth were randomly assigned to the intervention group, which was offered the chance to participate in YAIP, or the comparison group, which was not offered YAIP services.
Individuals were enrolled in the study from July 2013 to March 2014 and were followed for 30 months thereafter.
ACF, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
All study participants were ages 16 to 24 and were not working or in school; the median participant had been disengaged from work and school for 9 months. The average participant age was between 20 and 21 years old, and about half (49 percent) of participants were male. The majority of participants were either Hispanic (36 percent) or Black and non-Hispanic (58 percent). Thirty-eight percent lacked a high school diploma or equivalent certificate, and 72 percent had ever been employed. About one-quarter (26 percent) of participants had ever been arrested. Twenty percent were parents.
The Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development oversaw the program. During the study, services were provided by 12 organizations, including nonprofits, community-based organizations, a faith-based organization, a construction company, community centers, and a community college.
The YAIP program began in 2007, several years before the evaluation.
YAIP is delivered by 12 independent providers that each serve cohorts of about 30 youth in three phases. During the first phase, youth attend work-readiness workshops for about five hours per day, five days per week, for two to four weeks, during which time they are paid minimum wage. After this, youth are placed in internships for about 20 hours per week for 10 to 12 weeks, during which their earnings are fully subsidized and they earn minimum wage. During this second phase, youth also continue to attend educational workshops (covering work, financial literacy, and life skills) for five hours per week. After the internships, individuals can receive follow-up services for nine months, including assistance finding and keeping a work, educational, or military placement. During each phase, youth can also receive case management and supportive services.
Individuals in the comparison group were not offered services provided by the YAIP but could access other services in the community, including some non-YAIP services offered by YAIP provider agencies.
None.
The YAIP program takes place in three phases over about one year. The first phase includes 2 to 4 weeks of orientation and job-readiness workshops, the second phase includes 10 to 12 weeks of subsidized employment and continued learning, and the third phase includes 9 months of follow-up support.
The Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity; the New York City Young Men’s Initiative
The providers of YAIP included in this evaluation were located at 13 sites in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens in New York City, NY.
Financial hardship, Health insurance, Personal well-being, Psychosocial outcomes, Criminal justice