The Vocational Coaches to Enhance MST-EA program provided two one-hour sessions of individualized vocational coaching each week to young adults receiving MST-EA programming in areas of employment, education, health, housing, parenting, and financial literacy. The coaches provided vocational support with a focus on each of these specific support areas for three to seven sessions. Participants typically received the intervention over an average of seven to eight months.

Participants started the program with a four-day preemployment, life-skills class focusing on job-readiness issues, such as workplace behavior, job search skills, and decision making. The program then placed participants in transitional jobs at New York City agencies. Participants worked in these transitional jobs for four days a week at the state minimum wage and were paid at the end of each day. On the fifth day of each week, participants met with job coaches at the CEO office to discuss their performance at the transitional job and prepare for future interviews.

Fathers received life skills training and job placement and could participate in short-term training programs, such as truck driving training, and long-term training, such as heating and air-conditioning repair. All participants were enrolled in life skills training and job placement, but individuals could choose what types of additional program offerings to attend. Eligible individuals lacked high school educational credentials, were unemployed or underemployed, or were referred by their child support agent.

The TWC’s transitional jobs program began with a two-week orientation, and from 2004 to 2007, the TWC paid participants a stipend of $25 for each day of orientation that they attended. The TWC staff then used information from interest assessments and other orientation tools to place participants in a transitional, subsidized job where the TWC paid them minimum wage. The TWC also trained on-site partners to mentor participants in the workplace. Participants worked at those jobs for 25 hours per week for up to six months.

Six employment and training organizations implemented the Fathers at Work Initiative. All sites offered three strategies: employment services, fatherhood workshops, and child support services. Each site had flexibility to determine how services were provided and diverged in how they provided skills training, the intensity of available fatherhood services, and the way they worked with child support agencies.

JVS-Boston developed its medical billing and accounting training programs with input from employers who served on advisory committees. Potential participants were interviewed to confirm that they would benefit from the training program based on their interests, abilities, and qualifications. Participants received a certificate of completion at the end of the program. Training participants were also offered other services available at JVS-Boston, including a four- to six-week internship and training on job-readiness skills.

The TWC’s transitional jobs program began with a two-week orientation, and from 2004 to 2007, the TWC paid participants a stipend of $25 for each day of orientation that they attended. The TWC staff then used information from interest assessments and other orientation tools to place participants in a transitional, subsidized job where the TWC paid them minimum wage. The TWC also trained on-site partners to mentor participants in the workplace. Participants worked at those jobs for 25 hours per week for up to six months.

Traditional Case Management participants worked with one case manager to improve educational and vocational skills and with a separate income maintenance case manager to determine their welfare eligibility and payment issuance. Participants who did not have a high school diploma or general education diploma were assigned to basic education classes; participants with basic education credentials were assigned to vocational training, postsecondary education, or work experience. Case managers provided job search assistance after they determined that participants were employable.

The MFSP program implemented by the Atlanta Urban League focused first on providing full-time adult basic education and GED instruction to women with poor reading, writing, or math skills, and then occupational skills training and additional supports once participants overcame academic barriers.