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.

Individualized Job Search Assistance (IJSA)

Intervention (standard name)

Six to seven weeks into unemployment, participants were required to report to a job service orientation session. At the orientation, participants received information about IJSA services and scheduled an assessment interview. During the assessment interview, staff developed an individual service plan for the participant. Individual service plans varied, but the services specified in the plan were mandatory.

Structured Job Search Assistance (SJSA)

Intervention (standard name)

Six to seven weeks after submitting a UI claim, participants were required to report to a job service orientation session. After orientation, they completed a one-on-one assessment of their aptitude and interests and participated in a 15-hour job-search workshop. Participants were required to have at least two additional contacts with staff after these initial activities to report on their job search progress.

Urban Alliance’s High School Internship Program

Urban Alliance’s high school internship program consisted of pre-work training that lasted three to six weeks; an internship program paired with continuous soft-skills training throughout the school year; and post-internship services, which connected alumni to continuing services and potential summer internship opportunities. The pre-work training provided general job and soft skills training for three to six weeks at the start of the school year, after which participants began their paid internships.

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.

Year Up

Intervention (standard name)

Year Up began with 21 weeks of technical skills training in areas such as information technology and financial operations. The program also included training in professional skills and classes in business writing and communication. Young adults could earn college credit for their coursework. Year Up participants were then placed in a six-month internship with companies in the region. Participants received a weekly stipend during both phases.