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Job seekers interested in health care careers were referred to the program through community-based organizations, partnership service providers, and employers of entry-level workers who were interested in mid-level careers. Participants enrolled from January 2010 to February 2012. Workers who were employed at enrollment were excluded from the study. Using propensity score matching, evaluators found a comparison group of similar unemployed workers who were located in the same area and pursued state employment and training services during the same period. Job seekers in the two study conditions were matched on individual characteristics and employment history. The program enrolled 992 unemployed participants, and 46,701 comparison group members were selected as matches out of 55,754 possible comparison group members.
Participants enrolled from January 2010 to February 2012. Their outcomes were analyzed through the end of 2012.
A National Fund for Workforce Solutions grant from the Social Innovation Fund funded the study.
The majority of participants in the study were female (90 percent) and had a high school diploma or a GED (92 percent), with about one third (31 percent) younger than age 25 and one third (34 percent) between age 25 and 34. About half of the participants were White, non Hispanic, and 40 percent were Black. At the time of program entry, all participants were unemployed.
Partners for a Competitive Workforce collaborative, a regional partnership of Workforce Investment Boards, employers, community colleges, and service providers, including the Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Great Oaks Institute of Technology, and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Greater Cincinnati.
The program was established in 2003.
Unemployed workers interested in health care careers such as nursing, allied health, rehabilitation, health information technology, or biotechnology worked with an advisor and could receive a variety of trainings and services based on their employment goals. The program offered training focused on soft skills and financial literacy, as well as job search assistance, referrals to partner employers, and work-readiness activities including resume preparation. Participants could also receive assistance obtaining a National Career Readiness Certificate and enrolling in courses to receive their GED to prepare for postsecondary education. The program developed health care–related training credentials with employers to develop participants' skills and knowledge. Employers provided participants with tuition reimbursement or prepaid tuition for participation in these training programs.
Unemployed workers in the comparison group could receive state employment and training services from the Ohio employment exchange agency.
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The study does not specify the duration of service receipt.
The program was funded through a National Fund for Workforce Solutions grant from the Social Innovation Fund in addition to sources including the U.S. Department of Labor and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Greater Cincinnati, OH
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