In June 2008, the Employment and Training Administration awarded a contract to Mathematica Policy Research, working with subcontractors Social Policy Research Associates, MDRC, and the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, to conduct a rigorous impact evaluation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)-funded Adult and Dislocated Worker programs. This report discusses the services offered by the Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs and the contexts in which they operated in 2012 and 2013, highlighting service-delivery features that might have a direct bearing on customers' employment and other outcomes. The report provides lessons learned about the configuration and provision of core, intensive, training, supportive and follow-up services.

Although the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) supersedes WIA and makes some important changes to the public workforce investment system, WIOA leaves intact important elements of the service-delivery structure of the Adult and Dislocated Worker programs. This report presents implications of lessons learned from the evaluation for the workforce system under WIOA. It describes the changes made by WIOA to add flexibility for local areas to continue to move in directions they already were heading. It also describes how WIOA responds to barriers that study sites were facing in offering work-based training.

Future reports from the evaluation will provide information about the impact of intensive and training services compared to more limited services at 15 and 30-months after random assignment into the study as well as results of the evaluation's cost-benefit analysis.

Affiliation: Mathematica Policy Research, Social Policy Research Associates, MDRC, and the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Authors: Ronald D'Amico, Kate Dunham, Verenice Chavoya-Perez, Deborah Kogan, Melissa Mack, Marian Negoita, Anne Paprocki, Sheena McConnell, Linda Rosenberg

Key Words: Workforce Investment Act, public workforce system, Adult Program, Dislocated Worker Program, evaluation of WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker programs, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, job seeker services, employment services, employment-related services, employment-related training