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A key challenge facing policymakers and program administrators is how to develop effective strategies to help Americans facing economic challenges, particularly the long-term unemployed, to succeed in the labor market. During the deep recession of 2008-2009, an unprecedented number of workers lost their jobs and many remained under- or unemployed, even as the economy recovered. Identifying what strategies that can help them regain their economic footing has been a priority, with a particular interest in employment in higher-paying middle- and high-skill jobs that are in demand by American businesses.

As part of this effort, in 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) funded the Ready to Work (RTW) Partnership grant program that is the focus of the report. RTW grants went to partnerships of workforce agencies, training providers, employers, and other organizations, to improve the employment prospects of the long-term unemployed by providing a range of customized services including training and job search assistance. The intent of the RTW grant program is to establish programs that might prove effective in preparing U.S. workers for employment, particularly in occupations and industries being filled by foreign workers through the H-1B visa program. In 2014, DOL awarded four-year grants totaling $170 million to 23 grantees, with individual awards ranging from $3 to $10 million.

DOL’s Employment and Training Administration, in collaboration with the Chief Evaluation Office (CEO), sponsored a rigorous evaluation of the RTW grant program. The evaluation includes an implementation and impact study and is being conducted by Abt Associates and its partner MEF Associates. In consultation with DOL, the evaluation team purposively selected four grantees for study based on their program design and scale.

The report documents early findings from the evaluation’s implementation study of the four grantees. For each grantee, the report describes the design and operation of its grant-funded program components, including staff guidance, occupational training, employment readiness and job search assistance, work-based training, and other services individualized to each participant’s needs and skill gaps. This report also presents key findings related to the implementation and operation of the programs.

Key Takeaways

• The grantees launched their programs, using the RTW resources to fund the range of services specified by the grant.
• All grantees have been challenged to recruit participants from the population targeted by the RTW grant, and all have made outreach an ongoing priority.
• In spite of difficulties, grantees identified and enrolled their target population. Participants generally had the educational foundation required to pursue middle-skill positions yet were unemployed (some for long periods) when they enrolled.
• One-on-one assistance from grant-funded staff during all phases of the program was a key program service for three of the grantees.
• Reflecting the needs of long-term unemployed participants, grantee employment readiness activities aimed to reorient participants to the work world, as well as build job search skills and industry knowledge.
• The grantee programs also provided access to specialized assistance on mental or behavioral health issues, specifically designed for RTW participants.
• The grantees primarily relied on existing occupational training programs provided by community colleges or other training providers, with tuition paid by RTW funds.
• Though available, the paid work-based training positions were less frequently used than other program services.
• Some grantees worked with employers in relevant sectors both to support the design of the program and to help identify employment opportunities for participants.
• The grantees generally served wide geographic areas, which helped facilitate recruitment, but necessitated ongoing attention to coordination and consistency.

Citation

Martinson, K., Copson, E., Schneider, G., Elkin, S., Sarfo, B., Kappil, T., Ma, C., Morrison, C., Nakas, A. (2017). Abt Associates. Evaluation of the Ready to Work Partnership Grant Program: Findings from the Implementation Study of Four Training Programs for Long-Term Unemployed Workers. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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This study was sponsored by the Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research, Division of Research and Evaluation, and was produced outside of CEO’s standard research development process.