This study aimed to examine the impact of workplace literacy programs on the structure of social networks accessible to low-income Somali refugee workers. We conceptualized structure as network size and tie strength. Data were drawn using interviews with eighteen participants enrolled in a workplace literacy program. The classes offered included…

In the United States, 1.6 million young people between 18 and 24 years old are out of school (lacking either a high school degree or General Educational Development certificate) "and" out of work. These "disconnected" young people face significant barriers to economic opportunity and distressingly high odds of becoming involved…

"Job Corps," a federally funded education and job training program for economically disadvantaged youth, offers remedial education, GED (General Educational Development) preparation, vocational training, job placement assistance, and other supports. "Job Corps" participants typically reside in a "Job Corps" center…

This study investigated the services provided to students' participating in career preparation programs (e.g., career counseling, mentoring, apprenticeships, work-based learning, or GED programs) provided by the Massachusetts One-Stop Career Centers. A study conducted by the President's Task Force for Disadvantaged Students (2003) found that…

The Women's Educational and Vocational Enrichment program (WEAVE) has been conducted in two poor sections of Boston to help women move from dependence on welfare to gainful employment. Most of the women served by the program are black and most have not finished high school. About 42 percent of the women have never had paid employment, while most…

"YouthBuild" offers low-income youth both education and job training services. "YouthBuild's" education component emphasizes attaining a GED or high school diploma, typically in alternative schools with small class sizes and an emphasis on individualized instruction. In "YouthBuild's" job-training program,…

This report represents the completion of an extensive evaluation of pre-employment programs as potential strategies for moving disadvantaged youth into private sector jobs. The report inspects long-run impacts on participants in five "70001 Pre-employment Programs" by analyzing data from followup interviews of participant and comparison…

The General Educational Development (GED) program at Shawnee State Community College originated from a request by the local Private Industry Council to design and implement a course of study for economically disadvantaged adults who desire to prepare to take the GED exam and who meet eligibility requirements. The program, which evolved within the…

This paper contains four charts that describe the participation of people with disabilities in Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs for program year 1986. The first chart displays the state-by-state participation rates for both youth and adults with disabilities in JTPA Title II-A programs. Chart 2 lists the state-by-state participation…

This booklet contains 13 one-page vignettes describing the experiences of persons who have successfully completed Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs and gone on to success in various fields or in further education. Many of the persons profiled are members of minority groups, high school dropouts, dislocated workers, disabled persons,…

The JOBSTART demonstration program provided education and vocational training, support services, and job placement assistance to educationally disadvantaged dropouts aged 17-21 at 13 sites. An evaluation assessed whether helping disadvantaged dropouts increase their educational attainment led to increased earnings. A total of 2,312 people were…

Project WORTH (Work Opportunity Readiness for the Homeless) is a federally funded project in Louisville, Kentucky, in which participants come to the program site from shelters via school bus or from transitional housing by public transportation. Preschool children attend day care on site. The adults participate in a varied program that includes…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) interviewed national and regional Job Corps officials and conducted site visits to 14 Job Corps outreach, admissions, and placement contractors for two purposes: to determine whether the Department of Labor's (DOL's) policy guidance on Job Corps eligibility was consistent with legislation and regulations and to…

In the Family Employability Development Plan (FEDP) process, a facilitator works with the family to help its members acquire the skills to develop their own plan for economic independence. The facilitator helps coordinate the interagency effort and helps the family become empowered to carry out its own plan. Carried out as a pilot project in 13…

An evaluation of California's statewide Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) Program was based mainly on a sample of more than 2,500 welfare recipients in five of the six counties included in the ongoing evaluation. The evaluation drew on previously completed analyses and new data based on a survey of these recipients and the results of a…