EJC provided five weeks of classroom and job search workshops that aligned with participants’ occupational interests. During the first week, participants explored careers, identified their field of interest, developed career plans, and created resumes and master job applications. During the second week, participants refined their career development plans, practiced mock interviews, discussed previous job searches with EJC staff, and focused on specific job searches that aligned with their occupational interests.

LARCA provided participating youth with case managers who worked with the youth to develop and monitor individualized plans identifying services that could improve youth’s life skills and work-readiness.

Paycheck Plus: Employment Referral Services consisted of two main features. First, like the Paycheck Plus intervention described elsewhere on this site, it allowed eligible individuals to receive up to $2,000 in income-based tax credits, including the federal EITC and the supplemental credit from the Paycheck Plus program. In the 2017 tax year, a single adult worker would lose eligibility for the federal EITC after his or her earnings reached about $15,000, and the maximum credit was $510.

Paycheck Plus allowed eligible individuals to receive up to $2,000 in income-based tax credits, including the federal EITC and the supplemental credit from the Paycheck Plus program. In the 2017 tax year, a single adult worker would lose eligibility for the federal EITC after his or her earnings reached about $15,000, and the maximum credit was $510. Paycheck Plus increased the maximum credit for single adults to $2,000 and expanded eligibility so that individuals earning up to $30,000 qualified for some credit.

Next STEP participants received 2 weeks of work-readiness training and then worked with a job developer to search for a private job with subsidized wages. The subsidized job lasted for 16 weeks, with a full subsidy for 8 weeks and a half subsidy for the subsequent 8 weeks. All employers agreed to retain participants if they did well, and hired participants were invited to quarterly job retention meetings. In addition to subsidized employment, participants had access to case management, mental health services, financial incentives, and legal assistance.

PSI participants attended a job-readiness course, called Learning Expectations and Developing Employment Readiness Skills (LEADERS), course for two weeks. In addition to providing information about the program services and its expectations, LEADERS included conflict resolution, work readiness, mock interviews, and help preparing resumes. LEADERS was intended to prepare participants for the National Work Readiness assessment, which they took at the end of the course to be placed on a work crew.

The TransitionsSF program, which took place in San Francisco, CA, served unemployed and underemployed noncustodial parents. TransitionsSF included three stages. The first stage, which typically lasted three months, was a pre-transitional job period, during which participants took assessments to determine whether they required substance abuse services, mental health services, or other services. This stage also included individualized job-readiness training that helped participants develop their soft skills.

Program facilitators and participants met for a single, one-on-one session to predict challenges participants might face in their job searches and in the workplace. They then developed strategies to overcome these challenges. Facilitators delivered the IAS Module for one hour using two handouts.

The YAIP offered work-readiness workshops; internships; educational workshops; case management; supportive services; and assistance finding work, educational, or military placements to youth who were not working or in school. Youth participated for about 20 hours per week in the work-readiness workshops and internships and were paid subsidized minimum wages. The work-readiness workshops lasted 2 to 4 weeks; internships lasted 10 to 12 weeks; and follow-up services were available for 9 months after the internship ended.

Texas ERA began with an orientation followed by a four-day job-search workshop. After the workshop, participants spent four to six weeks searching for jobs. Those that did not find employment during this time were assigned to community service or volunteer positions. Participants who did find jobs became eligible for a $200 monthly stipend, as long as they were employed for at least 30 hours per week, participated in a post-employment advancement activity, or left TANF.