The Jobs-First GAIN program began with a six-hour motivational meeting followed by job clubs, which were classroom sessions focused on participants’ job application techniques and a supervised job search. Participants were encouraged to take any job offer received, including low-wage positions. Job clubs lasted three weeks, but further job development services were available until the recipient found work, exited the welfare system, or both. Jobs-First GAIN focused on AFDC recipients. The Jobs-First GAIN evaluation took place in Los Angeles County, CA.

The Office of the Attorney General partnered with the Texas Workforce Commission and Title IV-D court (part of the state child support enforcement system) to administer the program with the goal of helping parents become more responsible parents and preventing them from falling behind on child support payments. Noncustodial parents were offered eight weekly, two-hour group workshops covering financial responsibility, parenting and co-parenting skills, and financial education.

For participants with low educational attainment or low math, reading, or English language skills at program entry, GAIN began with adult education or job search assistance. For all other GAIN participants, the program began with job search assistance, including job clubs and supervised job searches.

CWPDP 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. CWPDP introduced four changes to AFDC. First, the maximum aid payment was reduced by 8.3 percent through gradual reductions from October 1, 1992, to September 1, 1993. Second, two-parent families in which one parent was unemployed could remain eligible for AFDC even if one parent worked more than 100 hours per week.

HPOG aimed to prepare participants for careers in health care occupations that paid well and were expected to experience labor shortages or increased demand. HPOG 1.0—Facilitated Peer Support grantees provided standard HPOG services and, to a subset of participants, the option to participate in a peer support group facilitated by a professional familiar with adult learning theory and the HPOG program. The peer support meetings were an opportunity to discuss available HPOG and community resources and challenges that participants might face in HPOG.

HPOG aimed to prepare participants for careers in health care occupations that paid well and were expected to experience labor shortages or increased demand. HPOG 1.0—Noncash Incentives grantees provided standard HPOG services and, to a subset of participants, the option to receive noncash incentives worth up to $1,000 per person. These participants were able to earn points for achieving program milestones, such as completing key courses or obtaining or retaining employment.

HPOG aimed to prepare participants for careers in health care occupations that paid well and were expected to experience labor shortages or increased demand.

The @LIKE program provided life coaching, career exploration, education, employment, and work readiness preparation. @LIKE provided youth with trained life coaches who focused on personal goals and helped youth build self-efficacy to solve problems and work toward their individual goals. Career exploration included activities such as exploring interest, setting goals, developing portfolios, and career decision making.

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.