Job Linkages Review: Promise and Challenge.

In 1996, the City of Phoenix Enterprise Community Job Linkages Initiative sought to increase employment by matching local people with local jobs. Evaluation of the second project at Friendly House found that Friendly House, during the 18 months of the grant, increased residents' employability skills and linked them with Enterprise Community employers through the following seven services: job readiness training, introduction to computers, case management, support services, job placement assistance, and follow-up at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after employment. Of 51 people who began working, 65 percent completed the retention period. It was estimated that program participants earned a total of approximately $367,000 during the pilot period. Fifty-eight percent of participants said that the program was excellent; the remaining 42 percent rated it as good. Women outnumbered men in the program, and 85 percent of the participants were Hispanic. More than half were 21 to 34 years of age. Approximately 75 percent were single, divorced, or separated, and many were single parents. The report concludes that if community groups want to increase employment, they must be prepared for a complex, demanding effort. (Included in the report are an executive summary; recommendations; and discussions on: the importance of matching people and jobs; conveying a sense of caring and personal support; the stresses caused by the "numbers" orientation of performance contracting; and program development issues such as using technology, creating alliances, addressing language barriers, and creating a continuum of services.) (KB)