| Research and Evaluation Projects |
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Implementing Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs): Early Experiences of the Seven Demonstration States |
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| Economic and Workforce Development |
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| Building Talent, Jobs and Entrepreneurs for Growth in the New Economy |
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| Lorain County Community College was awarded a
grant to aggressively stimulate and accelerate
both job and business growth by focusing on high
growth targeted industries. This mission is being
accomplished by developing a system of resources
that not only address workforce development
needs, but also promote growth of existing
businesses, especially small- and medium-sized
businesses, as well as new business development --
all within identified targeted industries. The
principal challenge of this project is to
aggressively stimulate and accelerate both job
and business growth by focusing on high growth
targeted industries. Critical to surmounting this
challenge is the development of a system that
addresses workforce development needs, promotes
growth of existing businesses, and creates an
environment that supports, nurtures, and values
the entrepreneur. All three components, pursued
with equal vigor, create a compelling design for
comprehensive workforce and economic development
that virtually ensures a thriving economic
future. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Jonathan Simonetta at: simonetta.jonathan@dol.gov |
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| Evaluation of Collaboration Efforts Between the Workforce Investment System and Faith- and Community-Based Organizations |
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| Beginning in 2002, DOL awarded grants to
grassroots organizations to promote and sustain
collaborations between faith- and community-based
organizations (FBCOs) and the One-Stop system. To
evaluate the success of these efforts, this study
is examining the 12 grants awarded in 2004 and
the grants given to four intermediary
organizations that received extensions in 2004.
The main goal of the evaluation is to provide
information on whether the grants are effective
in promoting sustainable collaborations among
FBCOs, Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), and
employers and which strategies seem particularly
effective, in what ways and under what
conditions. The study began in May 2004 and will
conclude in spring 2007. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Eileen Pederson at: pederson.eileen@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| ETA Occasional Paper 2006-02: Building Relationships Between the Workforce Investment System and Faith-Based and Community Organizations: A Background Paper |
| ETA Occasional Paper 2006-03: Evaluating Grants to Build Collaborations Between the Workforce Investment System and Faith- and Community-Based Organizations: Early Findings |
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| Evaluation of the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative |
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| The President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative (HGTJI) is a major national effort to encourage market-driven strategic partnerships between the private business sector and relevant public entities, including the workforce investment system, community colleges, and economic development agencies. Hundreds of grants have been awarded and they provide a rich source of information about various models and approaches that can be used to achieve the key national goals of building capacity that results in greater training opportunities to meet the needs of high growth and high demand industry sectors. This project is studying the implementation of these grants and will document best practices and lessons learned. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Jonathan Simonetta at: simonetta.jonathan@dol.gov |
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| Implementation Evaluation of the Career Advancement Account (CAA) Demonstrations |
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| Career Advancement Accounts (CAAs) are being piloted in eight volunteer states with the goal of demonstrating their value as a new service delivery design approach for the workforce investment system. Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming will be implementing state-designed approaches to CAAs. Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio, impacted by the General Motors and Ford automotive manufacturing plant closures, have volunteered to pilot CAAs to assist dislocated workers from these facilities, as well as those workers who are displaced as a result of impacts on supplier companies and the affected communities. This implementation study examines the extent to which both the individual CAA project and the overall grant program objectives are being achieved and documents project activities undertaken for possible replication in other states. The evaluation of this demonstration is a comprehensive process analysis that addresses topics such as: how CAAs are implemented and operated; the services provided by state/local staff to assist individuals in making an informed choice about where to use CAAs; the types of expenditures and training choices made through the CAAs; descriptions of participants’ acceptance rates, employment rates, retention rates; etc. The evaluation will include qualitative analysis of key CAA customer and stakeholder groups for each site (e.g., participants, staff, counselors, vendors, and administrators). Data collection will include site visits, structured discussions, collection of data from participating states, and other necessary methods. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Jonathan Simonetta at: simonetta.jonathan@dol.gov |
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| Project GATE: Growing America through Entrepreneurship |
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| U.S.
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has
initiated this innovative demonstration project,
The Growing America through Entrepreneurship, or
Project GATE, with Administrator Hector Barreto
of the U. S. Small
Business Administration to help emerging
entrepreneurs in rural and urban communities
achieve the American dream of owning their own
business. Economic freedom is the foundation for
individual success and prosperity. Project GATE
supports economic freedom through promoting
individual entrepreneurship. Project GATE seeks
to energize local small business creation and
help diverse urban and rural populations create,
support and expand small businesses. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Jonathan Simonetta at: simonetta.jonathan@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| Visit the Project Gate website at: www.doleta.gov/projectgate |
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| Labor Market Data |
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| Evaluation of the WIA Performance Measurement System |
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| This evaluation has two broad goals: to assess
the effectiveness of the current WIA performance
measurement system and to identify alternative
measures that might more effectively accomplish
the aims of the system. The study will provide
details of the WIA performance accountability
system and explore the performance measurements
systems' influences on partnerships and provider
arrangements, service design and delivery and
program outcomes. The study began in June 2003
and is expected to conclude in March 2006. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Lekesha Campbell at: campbell.lekesha@dol.gov |
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| Supplemental Survey on UI Non-Filers |
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| A supplement with the Current Population Survey
(CPS) to address unemployment insurance issues,
particularly why unemployed individuals choose
not to apply for unemployment insurance (UI)
benefits. Previous surveys of non-filers were
administered by the Census Bureau in late 1989
and early 1990, and 1993. This new survey, also
administered by the Census Bureau, was conducted
in four quarters in 2005. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Janet Javar at: javar.janet@dol.gov |
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| The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD's) LEED Program |
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| The purpose of this transfer is to provide
support for the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD)'s Local
Employment and Economic Development (LEED)
Program. The LEED Program provides practical
workforce development and economic research
regarding local workforce development and
employment-related initiatives in OECD countries.
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Doha Melhem at: melhem.doha@dol.gov |
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| Reemployment Services |
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| Evaluation of the Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Self-Directed Services |
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| The evaluation will study the impact and cost-
effectiveness of self directed labor exchange
services. The evaluation includes both
quantitative and qualitative analyses. The heart
of the research design will entail the estimation
of the impacts of the use of self-services by
comparing the outcomes of a large sample of self-
services users who are UI claimants with a
comparison group of claimants who do not use
these services. This analysis is supported by a
range of analytic components, including the
administration and analysis of a survey of local
areas to characterize self service systems, the
analysis of administrative data from a variety of
sources for large samples of self-services users
and the comparison group, the administration and
analysis of a survey of self-service users
(including employers and job seekers) to
supplement what is available form administrative
sources, and multiple rounds of site visits to a
selected sample of local areas to provide an in-
depth characterization of self-service systems.
study began in July 2001 and is expected to
conclude in 2007. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Dan Ryan at: ryan.dan@dol.gov |
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| Evaluation of the Prisoner Re-entry Initiative |
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| This evaluation will examine the development of
employment-centered programs for ex-offenders
that incorporate the key components of the
initiative. Specifically, the study will examine
w ho the PRI grantees and their partners are; the
principal approaches to organizing, implementing,
operating and administering PRI projects; the
patterns of cooperation and linkages that evolve
between PRI projects and partners such as the One-
Stop system, the criminal justice system, local
employers, and other stakeholders; PRI
participants and the services they receive; and
the short-term outcomes of PRI, including
employment, degree attainment, housing, substance
abuse, and recidivism. The study began in June
2005 and is expected to conclude in 2008. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Eileen Pederson at: pederson.eileen@dol.gov |
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| Strengthening the Connections between UI Remote Services and One-Stop Services Demonstration |
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| This demonstration research project is currently
underway in Milwaukee and Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The
project aims to strengthen the connections
between remote unemployment insurance (UI)
services and One-Stop center services through
development of collaborative procedures and
customer-centric services that promote rapid
employment. This will be accomplished by: Better
connecting UI to Job Centers via data sharing and
service provision making effective use of
information gathered via the internet for work
registration and other potential services;
Utilizing labor market information and industry
analysis to enhance the connection of UI
claimants to targeted industries, Expanding Job
Center and workforce development partnerships by
appropriately connecting UI claimants to programs
and services for which they may be eligible; and
Helping unemployed workers more rapidly reconnect
with employment and supportive services. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Heidi Casta at: casta.heidi@dol.gov |
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| Targeted Populations |
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| Agribusiness Collaborative Demonstration |
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| This project aims to secure year-round employment
for migrant seasonal farm workers as well as
secure an employment bridge between seasonal
agricultural work and seasonal non-agricultural
work. An evaluation of the demonstration project
will measure the outcomes in terms of employment,
earnings, retention, and the success of the cross-
training model in providing re-occurring year-
round employment. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Kevin Culp at: culp.kevin@dol.gov |
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| Analysis of the Federal Bonding Program |
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| Technology & Management Services (TMS) Inc. has
conducted a comprehensive analysis of the state
and local agencies administration and employers
utilization of the federal bonding program. This
analysis will assist DOL employees to understand
better the use and utility of Fidelity Bonds as a
unique job placement tool for ex-offenders. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Gloribel Nieves-cartagena at: nieves-cartagena.gloribel@dol.gov |
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| Creating Business Opportunities for Minority Entrepreneurs Project |
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| The National Business Information Clearinghouse (NBIC), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation based in Denver, CO, has been awarded a three-year grant to begin a project that combines an innovative use of web-based resources and content with on-the-ground technical assistance and training to help individuals overcome barriers to starting and maintaining a small business. The project is modeled after a successful implementation of the Business Information Clearinghouse and Entrepreneurial Development Centers in Denver, CO., and supports ETA’s Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative and the One-Stop Career Center system. The program consists of three inter-related components: 1) Business Information Clearinghouse; 2) Entrepreneurial Development Centers, co-located in One-Stop Career Centers; and 3) Financial Empowerment. A qualitative analysis will document lessons learned and will be disseminated to assist with replication in other regions.
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Richard Muller at: muller.richard@dol.gov |
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| Effects of Community College Training on Displaced Workers Conference |
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| The Hudson Center for Employment Policy has
organized a conference on the effects of
community college retraining on displaced
workers, and will produce an advisory paper for
further research. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Gloribel Nieves-cartagena at: nieves-cartagena.gloribel@dol.gov |
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| Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Study |
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| This project coordinates with Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration
of Children (ACF). The ERA study, which began in
1999, will determine the impacts and cost-
effectiveness of programs designed to help
current or former TANF recipients of other low-
income individuals retain their current jobs and
advance in the labor market. ETA provides support
for the evaluation to focus on the role of the
One-Stop Centers in providing retention and
advancement services to former welfare
recipients. ETA participated with HHS /ACF in the
process of recruiting State workforce development
agencies and local Workforce Investment Areas
(WIAs)/Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) to bid with
the State welfare agencies for the second round
of site selection for the study, to ensure that
the selected sites have a strong set of workforce
development services to aid in the retention and
advancement process. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Roxie Nicholson at: nicholson.roxie@dol.gov |
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| Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ (HtE) Demonstration and Evaluation |
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| This project coordinates with Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration
of Children and Families (ACF), and the Assistant
Secretary of Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). This
project targets welfare recipients with multiple
barriers to employment and no labor force
attachment. The study, which began in September
2001, will enhance employment outcomes for
current or former Temporary Assistance to needy
Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income
parents who face serious obstacles to steady
work. ETA provides guidance to support the
component of this study that focuses on the role
of the One-Stop Centers under the Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) in providing services to
current and former welfare recipients to help the
hard-to-employ find employment, and to identify
the impact of their services in the employment
and earning results.
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Roxie Nicholson at: nicholson.roxie@dol.gov |
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| Evaluation of Military Base National Emergency Grants |
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| ETA is conducting an evaluation of military
national emergency grants (NEGs) to inform future
policy decisions affecting services for members
of military and military spouses, including
members of the National Guard and reserves that
require employment-related assistance to qualify
for employment in the private sector, and/or to
increase the earning capacity of military
families. The research tasks include the
collection and analysis of data related to six
specific military NEGs. This evaluation has three
specific objectives: (a) to obtain an
understanding of the history of and
implementation experiences with serving military
personnel;(b) to provide information about the
make-up of the target populations, the types and
costs of services, and the labor market
experiences of those exiting program services;
and (c) to identify policy lessons on how the
workforce investment system might better serve
military populations and how the structure of NEG
awards to assist this target population might be
improved. A final report is expected by February
2007. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Anissa Holm at: holm.anissa@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| ETA Occasional Paper 2007-02: Evaluation of the Military Base National Emergency Grants – Final Report |
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| Evaluation of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) |
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| This evaluation will examine the program's
success in meeting its goals of fostering useful
part-time employment opportunities in community
service for low-income older Americans and
fostering individual economic self-sufficiency. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Lekesha Campbell at: campbell.lekesha@dol.gov |
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| Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Workers Initiative Evaluation (LEPHWIE) |
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| On February 14, 2006, ETA awarded $4.9 million to five grantees in California, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York and Texas through the Limited English Proficiency and Hispanic Worker Initiative. The grantees are serving limited English proficient individuals from a variety of language backgrounds including Hispanic, Somali, Ethiopian, and Southeast Asian. This evaluation intends to asses the effectiveness of creative teaching methodologies that simultaneously enhance English language and occupational skills in order to respond to specific workforce challenges identified by employers in the five geographic areas where this initiative is being implemented. Specifically, ETA is interested in learning about any systematic patterns across grantees that can be discerned and lessons that can be gleaned from the grantees’ experience; challenges in the implementation of these methodologies and the solutions adopted to overcome them; level of collaboration between LEPWHI partners relating to the implementation for the program design and provision of services; processes involved in the planning and delivery of program services for Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals and Hispanics; effects of the new learning strategies in outcomes such as language and occupational skills gains, job attainment, wage increases, job retention and advancement opportunities; effects of the contextualized learning models on the acquisition of English language skills of the participants; grantees’ plans to ensure future financial and systematic sustainability beyond the end of the grant period; and success of the programs’ job placement strategies. The study began in June 2006 and is expected to conclude in 2009. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail G loribel Nieves-cartagena at: nieves-cartagena.gloribel@dol.gov |
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| Low Wage Worker Workshops Retention and Advancement Project and Evaluation |
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| In 2003, ETA entered into agreements with the
California Employment Department and Oregon
Employment Department to demonstrate, in
collaboration with workforce partners, new job
search assistance and workshops, including route
counseling, to increase the competitiveness of
low-wage workers in jobs. The expectation is that
this project will provide the One-Stop Career
Centers with increased capacity to provide
effective employment and retention services to
low-wage workers. The final report was completed
in March 2006. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Mary Vines at: vines.mary@dol.gov |
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| National Work Advancement and Support Center Demonstration |
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| This project attempts to build and measure the
capacity of One-Stops to provide job retention
and advancement services to low-wage workers,
including appropriate hours of operation. It also
intends to use the One-Stop system to provide
financial work supports to working people and to
co-locate welfare and work supports in One-Stops.
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Roxie Nicholson at: nicholson.roxie@dol.gov |
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| New Americans Centers Demonstration Project |
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| New Americans Centers aim to assist immigrants in
becoming a part of the local community through
employment, language, immigration assistance, and
other supportive services. The demonstration
project is operating in Iowa and Arkansas. With
state funds, Iowa established three pilot New
Iowan Centers. Subsequently, Iowa has established
four new sites under this demonstration project
to determine how workforce development agencies
can better serve new immigrants and communities.
Arkansas, unlike Iowa, has opened sites for the
first time, and they are called New Arkansan
Resource Networks. They are located in four
locations throughout Arkansas. In both states,
New Americans Centers reside within existing
local One-Stop Career Centers and bring together
partners from workforce development, social
services and other community-based organizations,
and local Chambers of Commerce. The Urban
Institute will conduct a study of this project to
help determine the employment and civic
engagement outcomes of New Americans Centers. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Michelle Ennis at: ennis.michelle@dol.gov |
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| OECD Older Worker Study |
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| ETA transfers funds to ILAB to support the OECD's
Older Worker Study. This study will provide an
overview of national policy towards older workers
in the labor force, and will be compared to about
20 OECD countries. The international comparative
analysis will then be published and disseminated.
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Amy Young at: young.amy@dol.gov |
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| The National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) |
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| This annual survey, which the Department of Labor (DOL) has continually carried out since 1988, collects data on the demographic, employment, and health characteristics of hired crop farm workers. The data are collected in-person over three interviewing cycles. DOL, the Department of Education, and several agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services use the survey’s findings to target program services to migrant and seasonal farm workers and their dependents. NAWS findings are also used to inform the agricultural industry about the supply side of the farm labor market. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Daniel Carroll at: carroll.daniel.j@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| Visit the NAWS website at: www.doleta.gov/agworker/naws.cfm |
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| Women in the Workforce |
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| The focus of this research project is to
determine the extent to which highly-skilled and
highly-educated women are leaving the workforce
to attend to family needs. Highly-skilled and
highly-educated women who have left the workforce
represent a ready, skilled source of labor for a
variety of high growth industries facing a
shortage of skilled workers. The project will
document the extent of the problems these women
face which contribute to them leaving the
workforce in their prime working years, their
demographic characteristics, and the occupations
and industries impacted. The study will also
examine industry best practices to keep highly-
skilled and highly-educated women in the
workforce, or to ease their transition back from
an extended leave. This project is currently
ongoing; publicly available reports are
anticipated in spring 2007. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Kim Vitelli at: vitelli.kimberly@dol.gov |
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| Training |
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| Evaluation of Apprenticeship |
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| The apprenticeship evaluation will provide, for
the first time, systematic information on sponsor
views, particularly in new high growth
industries, on the costs and benefits of
apprenticeship, types of data maintained,
linkages with the One-Stop system, administration
of the apprenticeship system, and what sponsors
would like to see changed. Data will be collected
via a survey of sponsors of registered
apprenticeship (with over-sampling of newer high
growth industries) and visits to five states for
face-to-face interviews with key apprenticeship
stakeholders. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Charlotte Schiffers at: schiffers.charlotte@dol.gov |
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| Evaluation of the Center for Employment Training (CET) Replication |
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| The Center for Employment Training (CET) provides
a combination of basic and vocational skills
training, closely tied to private sector jobs. In
1993 and 1994, ETA funded grants to several areas
to replicate the CET model. The impact study will
measure the effectiveness of sites replicating
the CET model in serving disadvantaged youth ages
16 to 21. The study follows 1,485 out-of-school
youth were randomly assigned to CET or a control
group between the last quarter of 1995 and the
third quarter of 1999, looking at long-term
impacts. Long-term follow-up surveys are expected
to be completed in 2004 with a final report by
mid-2005. The short-term impact study was
released in May 2003 and is available at the link
listed below. This report summarizes the
implementation findings and presents initial
impact findings based on a random assignment
research design and a survey conducted 30 months
after application to CET. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Lekesha Campbell at: Campbell.Lekesha@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| ETA Occasional Paper 2003-04: Working with Disadvantaged Youth: Thirty Month Findings from the Center for Employment Training Replication Sites |
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| Evaluation of the Individual Training Account (ITA) Experiment |
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| The ITA experiment was designed to provide
federal, state, and local policymakers and
administrators with information on the trade-offs
inherent in different approaches to managing
customer choice. The experiment tested three
approaches and was implemented side-by-side in
eight study sites. Nearly 8,000 customers
determined eligible for training were randomly
assigned to one of the three approaches. The
approaches varied along three dimensions: (1)
whether the ITA amount was the same for all
customers or was determined by the counselor on a
customer-by-customer basis; (2) the intensity of
counseling and whether it was mandatory; and (3)
whether counselors could deny a customer an ITA.
An experimental design was used to explore how
these different approaches affected customers,
program staff, and training providers as well as
how different approaches generated different
training choices, employment and earnings
outcomes, and customer satisfaction. It also
explored the relative benefits and costs of each
approach. The grantees of this experiment
includes two consortia of two local boards in
Arizona and Georgia and four single local boards,
each located in Connecticut, North Carolina,
Florida, and Illinois. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Janet Javar at: javar.janet@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| ETA Occasional Paper 2007-01: Managing Customers’ Training Choices: Findings from the Individual Training Account Experiment - Final Report |
| ETA Occasional Paper
2005-03: The Effects of Customer Choice: First Findings from the Individual Training Account Experiment - Interim Report |
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| Evaluation of the Individual Training Account/Eligible Training Provider (ITA/ETP) Demonstration |
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| The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 requires
that, with certain exceptions, training services
be delivered through the use of Individual
Training Accounts (ITAs), which participants can
use to procure the training of their choice, so
long as the training program is on a state's
eligible training provider (ETP) list. In March
2000, the U.S. Department of Labor made grant
awards to thirteen states and local areas as part
of the ITA/ETP Demonstration, to provide support
for ITA and ETP system development and encourage
innovative approaches and practices. The
evaluation is a process analysis of thirteen
grantees on how they used grants to achieve
ITA/ETP goals set in proposals. The study
describes the grantees' accomplishments, ITA
policies and practices they formulated, how ETP
lists were assembled, and what information was
available in the CRS. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Janet Javar at: javar.janet@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| ETA Occasional Paper 2005-02: An Evaluation of the Individual Training Account/Eligible Training Provider Demonstration |
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| Evaluation of the Personal Reemployment Account Demonstration |
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| ETA launched the Personal Reemployment Account
(PRA) demonstration to test how personally
managed funds for eligible unemployed workers can
be used to purchase job training, supportive
services, and products from public One-Stop
Career Centers and/or the marketplace at large.
Seven states - Florida , Idaho , Minnesota ,
Mississippi , Montana , Texas and West Virginia -
volunteered to participate in the PRA
demonstration. Individuals who find employment
within 13 weeks will receive a reemployment
bonus. The bonus will be paid in two
installments - 60% at employment and 40% after
working six months. The evaluation of this
demonstration will describe the implementation of
PRAs in the sites and look at the outcomes of
participants. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Janet Javar at: javar.janet@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
Visit the PRA Demonstration website at: www.doleta.gov/Reemployment/
Also, the following publications on PRAs are available:
ETA Occasional Paper 2004-04: What Can We Expect Under Personal Reemployment Accounts? Predictions and Procedures
ETA Occasional Paper 2004-08: Personal Reemployment Accounts: Simulations for Planning Implementation
ETA Occasional Paper 2006-05: Implementing Personal Reemployment Accounts (PRAs): Early Experiences of the Seven Demonstration States
|
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| Lifelong Learning Account Pilot with the State of Maine |
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| Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs) are individual
asset accounts that leverage funds from employers
and workers to finance education and training so
that workers can upgrade their skills to meet the
needs of business and industry while helping to
advance their own careers and earnings potential.
This pilot with the State of Maine seeks to
enhance the current mix of services provided by
the state's One-Stop Career Centers by closely
connecting them to employers, incumbent workers,
community organizations, educational providers,
and new sources of revenue for career development
services. An evaluation of this effort will also
be conducted. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Janet Javar at: javar.janet@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| Workforce Innovations 2006, PowerPoint Presentation |
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| Opening Doors to Earning Credentials |
| |
| This demonstration project attempts to strengthen
the connections between the postsecondary and
community education system, the vocational
education system and the workforce development
system. The lessons learned will contribute to
more responsive training programs that will match
labor market trends and employer needs. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Roxie Nicholson at: nicholson.roxie@dol.gov |
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| Performance-Based Job Training and Education Demonstration Project |
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| Through Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and Twin Cities Rise! this demonstration project will provide services and engage employers to bridge the economic gap experienced by residents of the Twin Cities by assisting low-income, ex-offenders and individuals at-risk of court or gang involvement to re-enter their community and obtain and retain good jobs with good wages. TCR! will test a performance-based job training and education program by offering services through three program components that include a 13-month core program, and pre- and post-release transitional services. Central to the work of TCR! is that employers pay a placement and retention fee when they hire a TCR! graduate, operating much like a private staffing agency. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail M ichelle Ennis at: ennis.michelle@dol.gov |
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| Preparing Rural Science and Math Teachers through Distance Learning Demonstration Project |
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| Through the Western Governors University, a nonprofit, private university founded and supported by the governors of 19 Western states, a new training model will be tested. The new training model is designed to increase the number of qualified rural teachers, particularly in the hard-to-fill disciplines of math and science. WGU will offer academic support and mentoring throughout the program as well as professional development opportunities for up to one year following a student’s graduation from the program. The distance-learning aspect of the program allows individuals to continue residing in their communities while accessing their classes. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Michelle E nnis at: ennis.michelle@dol.gov |
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| State-Financed Customized Training |
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| This study updates ETA’s previous report on state-financed customized training that was released in 1999. Customized training programs are programs that are tailored and directed to one or more identified employers to meet their needs. In these programs, the client is the employer, training is directed to specific employers, and the focus of the program is on meeting employer needs. This study is an analysis of customized training activities funded by state governments for the years 1989-2006. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail J anet Javar at: javar.janet@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| Workforce Innovations 2006, PowerPoint Presentation |
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| Unemployment |
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| Evaluation of Rapid Response Services and Funding |
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| This evaluation will provide systematic information on rapid response services for dislocated workers. The study will look at how these services are organized, funded, and implemented, as well the challenges states and localities encounter in providing these services. Data collection includes a one-time survey of all state rapid response coordinators and of local workforce officials in the four states (Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas) where rapid response functions are delegated to the local level. There will also be a total of nine site visits at the state and local levels. Survey findings and site visits will also be used to identify promising practices and to understand the extent of collaboration in economic development and layoff aversion strategies. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Charlotte Schiffers at: schiffers.charlotte@dol.gov |
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| Evaluation of State Implementation of Section 303(k) of the Social Security Act |
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| This study will examine state implementation of Federal State Unemployment Tax Avoidance (SUTA) laws (section 303k of the Social Security Act) as to the status and effectiveness of state actions to meet the requirements of the law and operating guidance. Data will be collected through case study site visits and a 53-state survey. Resultant data will be used to inform Congress as to the effectiveness of the Federal law in a report from the Secretary of Labor, due to Congress no later than July 15, 2007. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Wayne Gordon at: gordon.wayne@dol.gov |
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| Evaluation of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program |
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| This six-year study of the TAA program will
provide information on participant
characteristics, program practices, management
issues, as well an outcomes and impacts of TAA.
The evaluation includes a quasi-experimental net
impact study using matched comparison groups, as
well as a process study. Data will be collected
via a baseline survey of nearly 8,000
participants and comparison group members; follow-
up surveys will be conducted at 15- and 30-
months. Administrative data from the UI, TAA and
WIA systems will also be used, and there will be
multiple rounds of site visits and a local level
survey. The study will try to determine the
effect of the TAA program on the employment and
earnings of workers who receive TAA benefits and
services, how the program operates at the state
and local levels, what participants experience in
the program, and how well TAA is integrated with
other programs in the One-Stop system. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Charlotte Schiffers at: schiffers.charlotte@dol.gov |
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| Unemployment Insurance Benefits Program Research Study |
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| This study is intended to provide detailed,
empirical information on the effectiveness and
impact of the UI program in light of its goals
and underlying premises. The study will identify:
changes in the labor market, population and
economy pertinent to the UI program, detailed
characteristics of who receives and does not
receive UI benefits; micro-economic impacts of
the program; and an analysis of the new REA
program. Overall, the study is intended to
provide fresh data and data analyses that can be
used in developing policy and in planning future
research, including demonstration projects. This
study will build on, update and expand the
extensive foundation of past UI research. The
study employs multiple research strategies,
including econometric simulations and new
analyses of administrative data from UI and other
programs. The study will be conducted over 5
years and began in July 2004. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Jonathan Simonetta at: simonetta.jonathan@dol.gov |
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| Youth |
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| Demand-Side Youth Offender Demonstration Project Phase II |
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| The project will continue to use an intermediary
business-driven method to workforce development
to add new knowledge about employer partnerships
and linkages, and to enhance the operation of the
public management model that DOL is refining
through its research. The project will operate in
the three former sites of Chicago, Miami, New
York and one new site in Los Angeles. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Mary Vines at: vines.mary@dol.gov |
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| Evaluation of Demand-Side Youth Offender Demonstration Project Phase II |
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| This evaluation will determine the efficacy of
using a business intermediary model to serve
youth offenders and at-risk youth, and to
determine the impact of services delivered on
employment earnings, and retention. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Mary Vines at: vines.mary@dol.gov |
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| Evaluation of YouthBuild |
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| Between 2004 and 2006, ETA awarded an eighteen million dollar youth offender demonstration grant to YouthBuild USA. Through these grants, adjudicated youth participate in a training program that combines academic instruction with construction skill development to build affordable housing in their communities. The evaluation seeks to document the YouthBuild model, examine its implementation across the 34 sites, and identify program practices that appear to lead to successful outcomes. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Lekesha Campbell at: campbell.lekesha@dol.gov |
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| High School Career Academies Demonstration |
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| This is a ten-year longitudinal study to measure
the impact of attendance at high-school career
academies on student's school attendance,
academic performance and graduation rates and
subsequent post-secondary education training,
employment and earnings. The study utilizes
control groups of students at the same high
schools as the academies to provide measures of
net impact of career academies. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Roxie Nicholson at: nicholson.roxie@dol.gov |
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| Hispanic Job Corps Study |
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| This study will identify possible explanations of
why findings from the National Job Corps Study
(NJCS) for Hispanics were different from those
for other groups, which displayed positive
economic impact for Job Corps participants as
measured by earnings after four years of follow-
up. The Study will also profile and assess the
status of Hispanics in Job Corps in more recent
times. Four areas that might relate to Hispanic
success are being examined: (1) language, (2)
culture and community support networks, (3)
elements found in successful programs targeted
toward Hispanics, and (4) Job Corps placement
services. The study began in June 2004 and is
expected to conclude in 2006. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Lekesha Campbell at: campbell.lekesha@dol.gov |
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| Job Corps Impacts by Age Group |
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| The National Job Corps study found that Job Corps
had different employment and earnings impacts for
different age groups: there were strong impacts
for 20 to 24 year olds, weaker impacts for 16 and
17 year olds, and no impacts for 18 and 19 year-
olds. Further, only the impacts for older youth
seemed to persist into the longer-term period.
This study will look for possible explanations of
this disparity. The study will re-examine the
data collected as part of the National Job Corps
Study, update the data where possible using Job
Corps administrative data (SPAMIS) and include
site visits to a sample of Job Corps centers. The
study began in June 2004 and will conclude in
2006. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Lekesha Campbell at: campbell.lekesha@dol.gov |
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| Job Corps Literacy Study |
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| The study will re-examine the data collected as
part of the National Job Corps study, analyze Job
Corps administrative data (SPAMIS) and include
information collected from site visits to examine
literacy programs at sample Job Corps Centers. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Lekesha Campbell at: campbell.lekesha@dol.gov |
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| National Job Corps Study: Findings Using Administrative Earnings Records Data |
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| This study will examine longer-term impacts from
the National Job Corps Study based on an analysis
of annual social security earnings (SER) data
reported by employers to the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS). It follows up on an earlier report
from the National Job Corps Study which found
that the estimated impacts on earnings of Job
Corps in years 5 to 7 after random assignment are
all near zero, and none are statistically
significant. However, the earnings impacts for
those 20 to 24 years old at program application
appear to have persisted and Job Corps may be
cost-effective for this group. This study will
provide impacts through approximately the tenth
year after program application. The study began
in June 2004 and is expected to conclude in 2006. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Lekesha Campbell at: campbell.lekesha@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
| National Job Corps Study: Findings Using Administrative Earnings Records Data |
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| Quantum Opportunity Program (QOP) Demonstration Net Impact Evaluation |
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| QOP provides mentoring and other intensive
services to academically at-risk youth in schools
with high dropout rates. The demonstration
operated in seven sites and was designed to
increase high school graduation, post-secondary
enrollment rates, and other outcomes among
predominantly minority youth in inner-city
schools. The random assignment evaluation will
measure the impact of QOP on high school
graduation, post-secondary enrollment, and other
outcomes. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Eileen Pederson at: pederson.eileen@dol.gov |
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| Youth Offender Demonstration Project and Evaluation |
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| ETA initiated the multi-phased Youth Offender
Demonstration Project in 1999 to increase the
employability of 14-24 year-old youth offenders,
gang members, and youth at risk of court or gang
involvement. The project was designed to assist
vulnerable youth gain long-term employment at
wages that prevent future dependency and break
the cycle of crime and juvenile delinquency. The
Round Two demonstration tested, based upon Round
One findings, promising organizing methods
coupled with workforce development and reentry
services to help youth offenders get education,
training and jobs by linking juvenile justice and
youth development, training and labor exchange
activities with One-Stop centers. The project has
been implemented in three consecutive rounds of
grants. The first round was completed in December
2002, and the second round was completed in
December 2003. A third round of projects began in
June 2002. The evaluation of the this project
will develop cross-site analyses to assess the
Demonstration's success in effectively providing
core reentry services and employability skills
and employment for youth offenders, gang members
and youth at risk of gang or court involvement.
The evaluation consists of a project model study
and an outcomes study. Together the two prongs of
the evaluation will strengthen DOL's
understanding of the factors that affect
successful programs for members of the target
population and of the mechanisms through which
persistence and progress are achieved. The
evaluation will produce an interim report in
October 2004 and a final report in December 2005. |
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| For additional information on this project e-mail Lekesha Campbell at: campbell.lekesha@dol.gov |
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| Related Weblinks: |
Youth Offender Demonstration Project Process Evaluation (Final Report)
Youth Offender Demonstration Project - Round One; Final Technical Assistance Report |
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