EVR provided a vocational counselor who helped place participants with rehabilitation agencies. The vocational counselor regularly monitored participants to ensure a good fit between the participant and rehabilitation agency. All rehabilitation agencies involved with EVR had the goal of gradually preparing individuals for competitive employment through a stepped approach of prevocational experiences that primarily consisted of paid work adjustment training in a sheltered workshop.

Services delivered via Opportunity Works varied by program site over an unspecified duration. Services could include case management, college-readiness instruction and coaching, goal setting, support with high school completion, career planning and exploration, job development and support, financial planning support, occupational skills training, and transportation assistance. Eligibility requirements varied by age and gender across program sites, but all Opportunity Works participants were between the ages of 18 and 24.

Participants of LA:RISE were co-enrolled in programs funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and received a minimum of 300 hours of subsidized, transitional employment at a social enterprise or workforce development system partner. These programs also provided on-the-job training, specialized training, or both. Other provided services varied by placement and included soft-skills training, work-readiness training and assessments, supportive services, case management, education, and permanent job search and placement services.

CareerAdvance participants enrolled in one of three programs linked to a health care career (nursing, health information technology, or medical assisting). Participants also received funding for tuition, books and supplies, additional child care assistance (if child care needs could not be met through the Head Start program alone), coaching, and financial incentives for meeting program milestones. Peer support groups were also available.

Participants in the STEP-UP Achieve Program were placed in paid internships at local businesses, nonprofit agencies, and public organizations. Participants also received training on career readiness, personal finance, and skill development in topics such as Excel and Outlook. Individuals had the opportunity to earn professional credentials in information technology and Excel following their training. Youth with an interest in a particular field, such as health care or financial services, could participate in specialized enrichment activities.

STEP participants received home visits from community liaisons to identify and mitigate any barriers that might prevent participants from traveling to the program offices. In the program offices, participants were assigned a case coordinator, who conducted assessments to determine barriers to employment. Case coordinators worked with no more than 20 participants at a time. The case coordinator and specialized vocational rehabilitation staff developed a plan to address the barriers, and participants began activities tailored to overcoming their barriers.

The HCD program implemented in Riverside, CA, emphasized that participants should spend time receiving education or training to prepare for good jobs. If participants did not have a high school diploma or general education diploma, the program provided basic education classes in the public school system to help participants make progress toward their goals (such as increasing their literacy level). Case managers were accountable for the employment and education outcomes of their clients and therefore encouraged success and emphasized and enforced program participation.

As part of the Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati, individuals who were unemployed and interested in health careers, such as nursing, rehabilitation, health information technology, or biotechnology, worked with an advisor to meet their career goals. Participants could receive a variety of trainings and services based on these goals. They were offered trainings on soft skills and financial literacy, along with job-search assistance and work-readiness activities.

As part of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, participants worked with a case manager to complete short-term training aligned with their employment and education goals to prepare for and secure in-demand, advanced manufacturing jobs. These jobs included team assembler, electromechanical maintenance technician, welder, computer numerical control operator, and bioscience or pharmaceutical technician.

At the time this evaluation occurred, two Transitional Subsidized Employment programs were active in Los Angeles County: OJT and a paid work experience (PWE) program. OJT placed participants in a partially subsidized, six-month position at a for-profit, private-sector organization, where they were paid $8 an hour by the local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) for the first two months.