This volume contains nine case studies describing the initial two-year experiences of local governments in implementing the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA). (An earlier volume published eight similar area studies on the transition from federally centralized to decentralized manpower programs.) Written by resident field…

In January 1998-March 2000, a new statistical assessment and referral system to improve the job retention of welfare recipients participating in welfare-to-work programs was piloted in the welfare-to-work program serving two counties in southwestern Michigan. The assessment and referral system is based on statistical methods and uses…

Texas is developing a return-on-investment (ROI) measure to assess the cost-effectiveness of work force programs. Emphasis is on issues related to conducting cross-program ROI analysis at the level of the Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) in career or one-stop centers. To make the most appropriate and effective use of ROI, the following…

The Massachusetts Council on Vocational Education surveyed 500 members of business and industry in 125 program advisory committees regarding involvement in the Job Training Partnership Act. The purpose of the survey was to document private sector perspectives on the content and value of their participation on vocational-technical education…

The study attempted a comprehensive evaluation of the process and product of a school-based job placement model operating in three Pennsylvania area vocational schools (AVTS). Random samples of AVTS and sending school seniors were post-tested on employability skills. Students, parents, school personnel, employers, Bureau of Employment Security…

A study assessed the first two years of a three-year initiative to test the potential of extending sectoral employment strategies among 10 organizations, most of which were new to the sectoral employment field. Five organizations increasing low-income workers' access to good jobs were ARCH; PhAME; Training, Inc.; WIRE-Net; and Project QUEST. Five…

These case studies and analytic essays are intended to give the reader a richer understanding of when and how top managers succeed or fail in their efforts to use performance management (PM) systems to improve the functioning of federal, state, and local government in the United States (U.S.). The question mark in the title is intended to remind…

Although young people across the United States have suffered disproportionately in the recent recession, the economic and social effects of high levels of youth unemployment have received only scant media and political attention and few state or federal dollars. Analyses of successful youth and young adult programs identified seven core principles…

The Quick Start Training Program is a transitional program that was developed to help the homeless population of El Paso, Texas, become self-sufficient through short-term vocational skills training. The program's occupational training component was designed to meet local training needs and was supplemented with activities to give participants…

A project examined the effectiveness of the Youth Career Development (YCD) Demonstration in facilitating the school-to-work transition of high school seniors. The evaluation involved a 1755-student test group and a 1684-student control group from 30 sites funded by six delivery agents (National Urban League, National Council of Negro Women, SER…

APPROXIMATELY 200 COUNSELORS AND PRINCIPALS FROM 85 HIGH SCHOOLS ENROLLING 76,610 PUPILS THROUGHOUT SEVEN SOUTHERN STATES ATTENDED A 2-DAY CONFERENCE TO EXAMINE AND EVALUATE GUIDANCE PROGRAMS AND TO SUGGEST IMPROVEMENTS. A FOLLOWUP STUDY OF THE CONFERENCE, INDICATED THAT 88 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS HAD IMPROVED THEIR VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE PROGRAMS…

The impact of one-stop career centers on the U.S. Employment Service (ES) program was examined through case studies of one-stop initiatives in the following states: Georgia; Ohio; California; Iowa; Oregon; Massachusetts; Texas; Utah; and Wisconsin. Of the nine case study states, only Georgia had not begun instituting a one-stop career center…

Better Jobs for Women (BJW) is an outreach program designed to place women in apprenticeships or similar unsubsidized on-the-job training programs in the skilled trade occupations. Among the first of its kind in the country, the Denver program has completed six years of operation and has placed over 400 women in more than fifty different skilled…

Idaho's displaced homemaker program exists to reduce the incidence of poverty among the 59,498 displaced homemakers (according to the 1990 census) and 22,147 single mothers in the state. Of those who participated in Idaho's displaced homemaker programs in fiscal year 1998 (FY1998), 924 (33%) earned less than $5,000 annually, and two-thirds had…

This report presents findings from a study of self-service systems in eight One-Stop Career Centers that were identified as being particularly efficacious or noteworthy for completeness of resources, ease of use, or outreach to special populations. Chapter I describes the study design. Chapter II describes physical facilities. It focuses on the…