Level
child

Individualized Job Search Assistance with Training (IJSA+)

Six to seven weeks into unemployment, participants were required to report to a job service orientation session. At the orientation, the participants were given information about the services available to them and were scheduled for an assessment interview. The orientation for IJSA+, unlike for IJSA and Structured Job Search Assistance (SJSA), included a coordinated effort with the local Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment Act staff to enroll interested participants in training.

Training Focused Program

Intervention (standard name)

To continue to receive benefits, TANF participants were required to engage in employment-related activities for 32 hours per week. Program staff allowed TANF participants in the Training Focused intervention to decrease work hours per week to zero hours to pursue education and training activities, with the philosophy that eliminating the requirement to engage in work would allow participants to access the most useful education and training programs.

Carreras en Salud (Careers in Health) Program

Intervention (standard name)

The program, operated by Instituto del Progreso Latino, offered tuition-free instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL) with a focus on language skills for the health care industry and two 16-week courses designed to (1) improve reading and math skills to prepare participants for an LPN program and (2) develop basic vocational skills for the health care industry. The program also helped participants apply to CNA and LPN courses at local colleges, including assistance in applying for financial aid.

Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA)

VIDA supported full-time enrollment in educational programs, including certificate programs, associate’s degree programs, or the last two years of coursework to receive a bachelor’s degree related to occupations that pay a living wage and are in high demand in the program’s local area. Participants received intensive, mandatory weekly counseling services focused on developing life skills, such as time management and budgeting, as well as skills to support success in participants’ education programs.

Pathways to Healthcare (PTH)

Intervention (standard name)

PTH provided five pathways to earn stackable credentials in the health care industry through a career pathways model and offered intensive advising, supportive services, and work-readiness activities, including workshops to prepare for the job search and job search assistance. Participants could also receive scholarships for tuition and books of up to $3,500 (or $6,500 for certain more expensive programs such as Licensed Practical Nurse, Medical Office Specialist, and Medical Records Technician) at the community college that operated PTH.

Good Transitions

Intervention (standard name)

After two days of initial skills assessment, Good Transitions participants were placed in a subsidized job at Goodwill Industries stores. An on-site job coach provided feedback and support while program staff provided case management and job development services. After one month at the Goodwill position, Good Transitions placed participants in a new position, with less on-site support and coaching than the Goodwill position, for about three months.

YouthBuild

Intervention (standard name)

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.

Wider Opportunities for Women’s (WOW’s) Minority Female Single Parent (MFSP) Program

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.