Concept mapping is a technique to represent relationships between concepts that can help students to improve their meaningful learning. Using the cognitive theories proposed by Ausubel (1968), concept maps can help instructors and students to enhance their logical thinking and study skills by revealing connections among concepts that can simplify…

The Institute for Work, Skills and Training was assigned to evaluate a labor market program aimed at the integration of long-term unemployed individuals aged 50 or older. The integration should have been achieved not only by training and coaching of individuals, but also by building regional networks between labor market stakeholders within a…

This paper describes a place-based research demonstration program to promote and sustain employment among residents of selected public housing developments in U.S. cities. Because all eligible residents of the participating public housing developments were free to take part in the program, it was not possible to study its impacts in a classical…

The problem of measuring impacts of employment and training programs when workers not receiving services are affected by the program is explored, using a reemployment bonus program as an example. The conventional measures of bonus impacts may significantly overestimate the net impact of the bonus offer. (SLD)

Describes a peer support approach to evaluating outcomes within supported employment programs for people with developmental disabilities. Presents a case study of one Canadian county agency's experience with peer support evaluation and draws several lessons from the implementation experience of several agencies. (SLD)

A methodology was developed for conducting a benefit-cost analysis of an innovative supported employment intervention for the psychiatrically disabled. Results indicated that the program, which targeted 19 participants, approached cost efficiency of almost .90 of benefits to costs. The value of the methodology for program evaluation is discussed.…

The paper describes the development and psyhometric validation of an instrument to measure co-worker involvement with employees with handicaps in supported employment settings. The Co-worker Involvement Instrument contains 10 items pertaining to physical integration, social integration, vocational integration, training, associating frequency,…

Current federal youth employment programs have failed to meet the employment needs of disadvantaged youth. Programs should be revised to: (1) require all participants to receive remedial academic instruction on the high school level; and (2) train participants in at least one vocational skill for which there exists a local demand for youth…

A study examined a series of performance standards issues in the context of employment and training programs targeted toward the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) population. Telephone interviews were conducted with representatives from the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and departments of public welfare programs in nine states.…

A study compared private and public training programs in the Baltimore (Maryland) metropolitan area. Survey instruments were sent to 105 individuals who had been identified as either directing or coordinating a job training program in the Baltimore area. Seventy-six usable survey instruments were returned (a 72 percent response rate). There was…

A study to find valid indicators of the long-run effects of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA) manpower programs that would meet prime sponsors' needs for short-term feedback indicated that the proxies being used were not strongly correlated with success in CETA programs. (MF)

A 20-state survey of supported employment personnel (131 direct training staff and 79 supervisory staff) serving people with mental retardation identified the importance of training in such areas as "matching the job to the applicant,""gathering information on job prospects,""understanding transition from school to…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) examined the procedures used by various federal agencies to monitor the performance and effectiveness of their programs of employment training assistance to economically disadvantaged persons. The study revealed that, although most of the employment training programs had some form of oversight or monitoring…

A large-scale evaluation was conducted of Jobs-First GAIN, a strongly employment-focused mandatory welfare-to-work program. Its main features were an unusually intensive program orientation; high quality job clubs; job development activities; strong encouragement to take entry-level jobs and combine work and welfare in the short-term; and…

Improvement is needed in services offered by the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and the U.S. Employment Service programs to give designated classes of Armed Forces veterans special treatment. This finding is based on reviews of six city programs and national program data. "Special treatment," although required, was not…