MFIP was one of the demonstration projects made possible by Section 1115 waivers to the rules in effect at the time for the AFDC program. These Section 1115 waivers allowed states to test new approaches to advance the objectives of the AFDC program.

YouthBuild programs provided four main categories of services: (1) a combination of educational services designed to lead to a high school diploma or an equivalent credential such as a GED; (2) vocational training in construction or another in-demand industry; (3) youth development services focused on leadership training and community service; and (4) supportive services to help individuals participate in training and employment, including case management, workforce preparation, life skills training, counseling, and stipends for participation.

SSP-Plus offered an earnings subsidy to participants who moved into full-time work (at least 30 hours a week) within one year of joining an SSP program. Participants earning less than a benchmark level (set by location and year) could receive additional income equal to half of the difference between their earnings and the benchmark.

TJRD participants were provided with 30 to 40 hours of transitional, subsidized employment; job search assistance; and other supports, including job coaching and classes before employment. Case managers acted as the primary point of contact for participants and helped participants access support for transportation, housing, and clothing, as well as referrals to training programs and substance abuse or mental health treatment.

Community-based organizations (more than 25 as of the time the evaluation was published) offer STRIVE. Participants first attended a job-readiness training that covered interview techniques and helped develop participants’ soft skills, including the attitudes and behaviors necessary to be successful in the workplace. Participants who had been released from jail or prison within the last 24 hours (or within the last 72 hours if released on a Friday or traveling a significant distance) received housing.

WOW placed participants in specific training courses, based on standardized testing, that either provided basic education and skills training or specific technical training. Participants who scored at the sixth- or seventh-grade level on standardized testing enrolled in an 11-week basic educational skills and employability development course, followed by three weeks of unpaid work.

OIC’s MSFP participants completed a standardized test of their basic academic skills before being assigned to remedial courses or specific job-training programs. Remedial courses (GED, English as a second language, literacy) were assigned to those who scored below a certain threshold or lacked a high school credential and lasted three months. Participants with a high school credential and those who passed their remedial courses were assigned to six to nine months of job-specific skills training coupled with job-search training and assistance.

Per Scholas participants enrolled in a 15-week computer technician training program that consisted of instruction and practice related to assembly, configuration, installation, upgrade, and repair of personal computers, printers, and copiers.

The training program prepared participants to obtain an entry-level computer certification. After the training, Per Scholas offered participants internships with local employers or with the Per Scholas recycling and refurbishing center.

Maximum Customer Choice participants could request counseling from program staff to guide them to appropriate training selections, but they did not automatically receive counseling. Participants received an individual training account in the amount of $3,000 to $5,000, depending on the program site. Most Maximum Customer Choice participants requested counseling and completed counseling and training program selection in five sessions. Then, participants engaged in their selected training program for an average of 18 weeks.

Structured Customer Choice participants received intensive, mandatory weekly counseling from program staff, in which the counselors directed participants to training programs with high returns on investment (that is, programs anticipated to lead to high earnings gains over participants’ lifetimes relative to the training cost). Participants selected the training program in which they wished to participate, but counselors could deny participants’ selections. Participants also received an ITA of up to $8,000 to cover the cost of training.