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The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) funded 46 grantees across the country to expand registered apprenticeship into new sectors, such as healthcare, and to populations historically underrepresented in apprenticeships. DOL commissioned an evaluation of the AAI grants to build evidence about the effectiveness of registered apprenticeship for apprentices and employers. This report presents findings from the demonstration study that examined the impact of employer engagement efforts on employers' take-up of registered apprenticeship. The primary data source is data collected by the two grantees in the demonstration on their efforts to research, contact, and subsequently develop apprenticeship programs with employers. Other data sources include interviews conducted during site visits to and phone calls with the two grantees, and observations of technical assistance provided to grantee staff by a consultant. [This report was produced in partnership with Capital Research Corporation.]

The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) supported 46 grantees across the country to expand registered apprenticeship into new sectors, such as healthcare, and to populations historically underrepresented in apprenticeships. DOL commissioned an evaluation of the AAI grants to build evidence about the effectiveness of registered apprenticeship for apprentices and employers. This report presents findings from the outcomes study of that evaluation. It examines the characteristics, reasons for enrollment, program experiences, and post-program outcomes of AAI apprentices and pre-apprentices. The data sources include an AAI Apprentice Survey administered to a sample of approximately 2,600 registered apprentices, program records from grantees, and administrative earnings data from the National Directory of New Hires.

Most occupations projected to grow the fastest in the coming years will require postsecondary education and training. Of the 30 occupations with the most job growth projected between 2019 and 2029, 20 require at least some postsecondary education, including degrees and nondegree credentials. Millions of adults lack the postsecondary credentials needed to obtain many jobs in the current economy. Challenges to credential attainment include limited information about education and training options and their outcomes, expenses related to enrollment and persistence, and, for many students, the need to balance school with work responsibilities. This brief first summarizes the career pathways framework and associated evaluations. Then, using findings from these evaluations, it describes how programs that incorporate key features of the career pathways framework help their students persist and complete. Although not specific to working students, the strategies described can help students balance school and work. Data is used from three Administration for Children and Families-funded studies of programs adopting a career pathways framework.

The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program provided grants to community colleges and other eligible institutions of higher education to expand and improve their ability to deliver education and career training programs. Grant-funded colleges served workers who were eligible for training under the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) program as well as other adults in need of training for in-demand occupations. In doing so, the grant program supported the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) goal of training workers with the skills to succeed in fast-growing, high-wage occupations. Between 2011 and 2014, the grant program awarded $1.9 billion across four rounds of grants to more than 1,000 colleges nationwide. The fourth and final round of grants (71 grantees, 263 colleges) ended in 2018. In order to build evidence on grant-funded programs and strategies, DOL funded a national evaluation of each grant round to collect and assess qualitative and quantitative data across all participating colleges. The Round 4 evaluation included an outcomes study, the focus of this report. This report describes the training, employment, earnings, and self-sufficiency outcomes of nearly 2,800 participants who enrolled in 34 programs at nine Round 4 grantees. The overarching research questions are: (1) What were the characteristics of study participants?; (2) In which features of training programs and services did study participants engage?; (3) What education outcomes did study participants in short-term training programs achieve?; and (4) Did participants obtain employment? If so, was it in an occupation related to their training? What were their earnings? What were the characteristics of their jobs? The analyses presented in this report use data collected from study participants at two points in time (program entry and approximately 15 months later), as well as administrative wage records. The report not only summarizes the outcomes of program participants, it provides information of use for policymakers and program operators interested in funding, designing, and implementing college-based programs to train dislocated and other workers. [This report was produced in partnership with Capital Research Corporation. For the technical appendices, see ED610213.]

This report documents the impacts three years after random assignment for the Pathways to Healthcare program, operated by Pima Community College and Pima County One Stop in Tucson, Arizona. The program aimed to help low-income, low-skilled adults access and complete occupational training that could lead to increased employment and higher earnings. This research was undertaken to evaluate whether Pathways to Healthcare was successful in providing training to low-income, low-skilled adults and whether the program's efforts led to impacts on credentials, earnings, healthcare employment, and other life outcomes. This report sought to answer the following research questions: (1) Three years after random assignment, what were the effects of Pathways to Healthcare on educational outcomes?; (2) Three years after random assignment, what were the effects of Pathways to Healthcare on entry into career-track employment and higher earnings?; and (3) Three years after random assignment, what were the effects of Pathways to Healthcare on individual and family well-being, including income and other life outcomes?

This report describes the implementation and early impacts of the Washington State Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) program at three colleges: Bellingham Technical College, Everett Community College, and Whatcom Community College. I-BEST is a nationally known program that aims to increase access to and completion of college-level occupational training in a variety of in-demand occupational areas. Its signature feature is team teaching by a basic skills instructor and an occupational instructor during at least 50 percent of occupational training class time. Colleges operated I-BEST programs in one or more occupational areas including automotive, electrical, office skills, nursing, precision machining, and welding. I-BEST is one of nine career pathways programs being evaluated under the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families. The I-BEST program was launched in Washington in the 2006-07 academic year by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. I-BEST aims to help students in basic skills programs (e.g., Adult Basic Education, English as a Second Language), who otherwise might have spent time in remediation, to enroll and succeed in college-level occupational training courses. Each I-BEST program is a course of study within a structured career pathway, and it offers students the opportunity to obtain credentials and college credits in in-demand occupations. Besides the team teaching, the I-BEST program evaluated in PACE also included two enhancements: financial support for tuition and associated materials; and additional advising services focused on supporting students' academic needs, navigating college procedures, and career planning. Using a rigorous research design, the study found that the I-BEST programs at the three colleges increased participation in college level courses, number of credits earned and credential attainment. Future reports will examine whether the I-BEST program resulted in gains in employment and earnings.

This report provides early evidence on the implementation and impacts of the Madison Area Technical College Patient Care Pathway program, which aimed to help low-skilled students in the Madison, Wisconsin, area access occupational training in the growing healthcare sector. The Patient Care Pathway program adapted and linked existing programs at the college to create three one-semester academies offering low-skilled students an accelerated pathway into their chosen healthcare program. It is one of nine programs embodying elements of the career pathways framework that are the subject of the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) evaluation. The Patient Care Pathway program consists of three key elements: (1) a structured healthcare training pathway for students with low skill levels; (2) contextualized and accelerated basic skills instruction packaged with credit-bearing courses; and (3) proactive advising to help students to navigate the program admission process, develop an academic plan, and identify and address academic and non-academic barriers to program completion. Using a rigorous research design, the study found that the Patient Care Pathway program did not increase number of college credits earned, the confirmatory outcome for the evaluation. The program increased the likelihood of enrollment in occupational training, but did not increase hours of occupational training received or the attainment of education credentials within an 18-month follow-up period.

This report documents the implementation and early impacts of the Carreras en Salud (Careers in Health) program, operated by Instituto del Progreso Latino, in Chicago, Illinois. The Carreras en Salud program is one promising effort aimed at helping low-income, low-skilled adults access and complete occupational training that can lead to increased employment and higher earnings. A distinctive feature of this program is its focus on training for low-income Latinos for employment in healthcare occupations, primarily Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). It is among nine career pathways programs being evaluated in the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families. The Carreras en Salud program consists of five elements: (1) a structured healthcare training pathway, starting at low skill levels; (2) contextualized and accelerated basic skills and ESL instruction; (3) academic advising and non-academic supports; (4) financial assistance; and (5) employment services. Using a rigorous research design, the study found that the Carreras en Salud program increased hours of occupational training and basic skills instruction received and the attainment of education credentials within an 18-month follow-up period. The program also increased employment in the healthcare field and resulted in a reduction of participants reporting financial hardship.

This report provides evidence on the implementation and early impacts of one promising effort to meet the needs of low-income students and local employers for skilled workers, the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA). VIDA, a community-based organization, is one of nine career pathways programs in the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families. VIDA's primary goal is for participants to graduate with an associate's degree or industry-recognized certificate in a high-demand occupation and find employment that pays a living-wage. VIDA supports full-time enrollment at local colleges through required attendance at weekly intensive counseling sessions, as well as through substantial financial assistance. For participants who are not college-ready, VIDA offers an accelerated basic skills academy. Using a rigorous research design, the study found that the VIDA program significantly increased the total number of college credits earned within a 24-month follow-up period. These effects are among the largest observed in rigorous studies of programs intended to increase low-income students' enrollment and completion of post-secondary education. The program also increased rates of full-time college enrollment, enrollment more generally, and summer school enrollment. Finally, it increased the attainment of college credentials. Future reports will examine whether these effects translate into gains in employment and earnings.

This report documents the implementation and early impacts of the Pathways to Healthcare program, operated by Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. Pathways to Healthcare is one promising effort to help low-income, low-skilled adults access and complete occupational training that can lead to increased employment and higher earnings. It is one of nine career pathways programs being evaluated under the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families. The Pathways to Healthcare program consists of five elements: (1) the mapping of 16 existing healthcare occupational training programs into five pathways, each incorporating a ladder that enables students to obtain stackable credentials; (2) proactive advising such as career counseling; (3) scholarships for tuition and books; (4) two compressed basic skills programs that in one semester remediate students whose low skills prevented them from enrolling directly in training; and (5) job search assistance. The study considered the following primary research questions: (1) Was the intervention actually implemented as designed?; (2) How did services received differ between study participants who could access the Pathways to Healthcare program versus those who could not?; and (3) What were the effects of access to Pathways to Healthcare on short-term educational outcomes: hours of occupational training received, credits received, and credentials received? Using a rigorous research design, the study found that Pathways to Healthcare increased the hours of occupational training and the credentials its participants received within the 18-month follow-up period. Future reports will examine whether these effects translate into gains in employment and earnings.

The Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) project was undertaken to identify effective strategies for helping low-income parents work more steadily and advance in the labor market. The 15 ERA demonstration projects that were operating in nine states (California, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, South Carolina; Tennessee, and Texas) as of fall 2001 were evaluated by using a random assignment procedure that was tailored to each individual project. Several projects targeted "hard to employ" groups, whereas others focused on low-income working parents and helping participants advance to higher-paying jobs. In most ERA projects, case management was not seen as the main service strategy but as the starting point to deliver other services or activities, such as education and training, financial incentives, career planning, rehabilitation services, and job search assistance. Sites were responding to the challenges of encouraging and maintaining low-wage working parents' participation in the workforce with aggressive outreach, tailored services, financial incentives, and advancement strategies that do not rely on traditional classroom-based education and training. The following items are appended: descriptions of the ERA programs; a discussion of the project evaluation procedure; and key welfare rules in the ERA states. (Contains 14 tables and 29 references.) (MN)

This study explored the relationships between adult economic outcomes and three key factors during adolescence: schooling, family background, and county of residence. The empirical analysis was based on data covering the period from 1979-1996. Data came from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. The study examined a sample of people ages 14-19 years in 1979. Researchers made estimates on the impact of family, school, and county when growing up on earnings capacity and poverty risk once participants reached adulthood. Overall, family, school, and county of residence, when analyzed separately, each exhibited significant associations with men's and women's outcomes in later life. The size and significance of these effects were very susceptible to controls for the other sets of background factors, indicating the strong link between these different aspects of people's lives when growing up. Family factors had the strongest explanatory power, followed by schooling variables. There was a strong correlation between the characteristics of area of residence and family and school. The results provide evidence that the advantage or disadvantage associated with family background is compounded by young people's experiences in school, and in some cases, area of residence. Tables are appended. (Contains 11 references.) (SM)

This report examines the disability community's efforts to help individuals who have significant disabilities access and maintain employment. It identifies how welfare agencies can learn from and build upon lessons from the disability community. Chapter 1 describes the hard-to-employ (HTE) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) population and identifies barriers to employment and how states treat people with disabilities under their TANF systems. Chapter 2 highlights these four employment strategies for increasing employment among people with disabilities: workplace accommodations, supported employment, natural support, and Projects with Industry programs. A discussion of implications for the HTE TANF population follows each strategy. Chapter 3 reviews use of cash and in-kind supports to increase employment and describes four programs from the disability field. Chapter 4 describes types of transitional supports available to TANF recipients and discusses interventions designed to help people with disabilities transition to work and maintain employment. Chapter 5 summarizes these key lessons for the TANF community: expectations are important; the modified "work first" approach to employment can be successful for the HTE population; some clients need ongoing support to remain employed; some need to mix benefits and work indefinitely; and employer involvement is crucial. Appendixes contains a 100-item bibliography and description of rules governing the primary public assistance programs. (YLB)

With the transformation of the welfare system, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reviewed the employment and training components of 13 of its programs. The evaluation begins with a literature review that identifies these four groups of elements associated with positive outcomes: employment services that have an employment or education and training focus; eliminating barriers through provision of child care, transportation, and remedying substance abuse and personal problems; cash and in-kind supports that augment earned income; and transitional supports such as life skills training and peer support. These elements provided the framework for in-depth, on-site interviews with individuals from local housing authorities, employment and training agencies, welfare offices, and community-based organizations in Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and San Antonio. Among the study's findings were the following: (1) HUD programs were generally consistent with the literature on employment and training programs; (2) Section 8 recipients have less access to employment-focused HUD programs; (3) Only Jobs Plus primarily served residents on welfare in all sites observed; (4) programs that target TANF (Transitional Assistance for Needy Families) recipients combine HUD funding streams and harness resources from the broader community; (5) strong linkages exist with labor agencies but relationships with welfare departments could be strengthened; (6) the implementation of financial incentives policies for residents must be resolved; and (7) housing authorities approach the issue of helping residents attain self-sufficiency differently. An appendix provides assessment plans for various programs. (Contains 71 references.) (KC)