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.

SFTW started with a three- to five-day job-readiness workshop, during which participants took assessments and engaged in job-readiness activities. Participants were then assigned a case manager, who helped participants become more job ready; develop soft skills; and address barriers to work, such as a lack of clothing, transportation, or housing. Case managers also served as job coaches and helped match participants to transitional jobs based on their skills and interests, mostly with private-sector employers.

To continue to receive benefits, TANF participants were required to engage in employment-related activities for 32 hours per week. Program staff encouraged TANF participants in the Work Plus intervention to decrease work hours per week to 20 hours to pursue education and training activities, with the philosophy that working reinforced the value of education and training and that working while in school or training increased the likelihood of program completion and the use of newly attained skills. Participation in education and training

A local public human services agency and a community college collaborated to provide VISION services, which included job search assistance and post-employment services in a One-Stop Career Center. Job search assistance included job placement and workshops on job retention and career paths. To help participants prepare for a job that interested them, staff met with participants two to three times a week to help develop a Personal Development Plan (PDP), which described the participants’ career goals and necessary tasks to achieve those goals.

TAAG is a model from the Employment Retention and Advancement study. The TAAG program provided job retention and career advancement services customized to participants’ career interests and personal circumstances. A collaboration of four agencies provided TAAG services; the agencies included a local public human services agency, workforce organizations, and a community college.

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.

Moving Up participants received case management and additional services aligned to their individual needs. These additional services included pre- or post-employment services, career counseling, job-search help, education and training, and child care and transportation assistance. Moving Up provided incentives when participants achieved employment, education, or training milestones. The number of services participants received and the length of participation varied based on participants’ particular circumstances.

AFDC recipients first participated in an assessment to identify barriers to employment success. After receiving counseling from their case managers, participants chose from a set of employment, remedial education, postsecondary education, vocational training, and supported work experience programs that best fit their needs and interests.