Earnings

Earnings

Parent Success Initiative (PSI) had the largest effects on long-term annual earnings (an average of $983 per year). PSI provided noncustodial parents with low incomes support in finding work with the goal of improving participants’ employment skills and ability to pay child support.

Employment

Employment

Welfare Restructuring Project (WRP) had the largest effects on long-term employment (an average of 5 percentage points). The WRP created a work requirement for single parents and for two-parent families with a disabled or unemployed parent receiving cash assistance. It also provided financial incentives to work, with a goal of encouraging employment and reducing reliance on welfare.

Public benefit receipt

Public benefit receipt

Parent Success Initiative (PSI) had the largest effects on long-term benefit receipt (decreasing the amount of public benefits received by $503 per year). PSI provided noncustodial parents with low incomes support in finding work with the goal of improving participants’ employment skills and ability to pay child support.

Effects on long-term benefit receipt

$503

Decrease long-term benefit receipt

Education and training

Education and training

Supporting Families Through Work (SFTW) had the largest effects on education and training (increasing the attainment of a degree or credential by an average of 3 percentage points). SFTW provided noncustodial parents with low incomes with support to find transitional jobs; SFTW’s goal was to improve employment outcomes and participants’ ability to pay child support.

Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project

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To further build the evidence around effective strategies for helping individuals with low incomes find and sustain employment, OPRE contracted with Mathematica to conduct the Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project. This project will identify and test innovative, promising employment interventions designed to help individuals facing complex challenges secure a pathway toward economic independence. These challenges may be physical and mental health conditions, substance misuse, a criminal history, or limited work skills and experience.

Enhanced Vocational Rehabilitation [EVR] (as compared to Community Connections Individual Placement and Support (IPS))

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.

Success Through Employment Preparation (STEP) (as compared to Transitional Jobs Program at the Transitional Work Corporation (TWC))

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.

Partners for a Competitive Workforce: Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati

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.

Partners for a Competitive Workforce: Advanced Manufacturing Partnership

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.

Milwaukee Area Healthcare Alliance

Intervention (standard name)

The Milwaukee Area Healthcare Alliance, a workforce intermediary led by the YMCA of Greater Milwaukee, partnered with health care employers to identify needed skills and provided occupational training to participants to help meet those needs. The program also offered on-the-job-training and job search assistance. The program served workers in the Milwaukee, WI, region who were low skilled and unemployed.

Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership Manufacturing Pathway

Participants in the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership—Manufacturing Pathway received services and training to prepare for and advance in a career in the manufacturing sector. Training included job readiness training to improve personal and professional skills, occupational training that provided certificates in specific trades, and apprenticeships. Services included tutoring, job search assistance, and job referrals to partner employers in the manufacturing industry. Participants were individuals who were unemployed and who expressed interest in careers in manufacturing.

Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership Construction Pathway

Participants in the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership—Construction Pathway received services and training to prepare for a career in the construction sector. Training included pre-apprenticeship programs to help them gain construction skills occupational training that provided certificates in specific trades, and apprenticeships. Services included tutoring, job search assistance, and job referrals to partner employers in the construction industry. Participants were unemployed individuals who expressed interest in careers in construction.

Partners for a Competitive Workforce: Construction Sector Partnership

The Construction Sector Partnership offered pre-apprenticeship programs with employer partners. These programs provided workers with on-the-job training that helped them prepare for entry-level construction jobs, such as carpentry, plumbing and pipe-fitting, or heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. The program also offered participants work-readiness training and job search assistance. The Construction Sector Partnership was offered to individuals who were unemployed and who were interested in construction careers in Greater Cincinnati, OH.