Research on effectiveness of welfare-to-work approaches shows programs that combine approaches--job search assistance and education and training--have better employment and earnings outcomes than either approach alone. Consistent with findings and the work focus of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, states have…

New Jersey After 3 (NJ After 3) is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to expand and improve afterschool opportunities for New Jersey's youth. Using both public and private resources, it supports a network of youth-service providers that deliver afterschool services based on NJ After 3's program model. Under an agreement with NJ…

The 14 Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)-funded youth employment programs to which the Academy for Educational Development (AED) has delivered technical assistance for the past 5 years illustrate several important conditions for effective programming and "best practices" in the field of youth employment and training. Four of the JTPA…

The "Building Bridges" Leadership/Mentor Project developed a model leadership intern experience with emphasis on minority group involvement. It had four goals: to foster an environment in which cultural diversity was understood and valued; to increase work force participation of minority groups; to provide opportunities for leadership…

This study reassessed the series of four intensive summer institutes conducted at Mississippi State University on instructional strategies for culturally diverse students to determine the extent to which institute participants implemented these strategies in their respective schools or districts. The Strategies for Instructing Culturally Diverse…

Between July 1, 1991 and June 30, 1993, Washington State's Displaced Homemaker Program (DHP) served a total of 55,363 individuals. The program's intensive instructional services component was completed by 2,496 eligible displaced homemakers, 84% of whom were aged 30-59. Of the DHP participants, 84% were white, 75% were separated or divorced, 79%…

The first findings of an evaluation of California's welfare-to-work program, Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN), related to its impact on employment, earnings, and welfare payments. The impact results came from a study of applicants for and recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in six counties and were limited to the…

The Commission on Vocational Education and Career Opportunities in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) studied vocational education and career preparation activities in the DCPS and explored strategies for improving them. The study established that DCPS is failing to fulfill its career preparation mission. The problems of too many…

The effectiveness of the "user choice" approach to allocating public funds for training was examined through telephone interviews with 46 employers who were associated with 48 of Australia's 50 User Choice pilot projects (including employers associated with 7 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiatives). The employers uniformly…

A 5-year (1986-91) follow-up needs assessment was conducted to evaluate current single parent and displaced homemaker programs in New Jersey. Suggestions were offered to help them continue effectively helping the changing target population attain long-term economic self-sufficiency. Recommendations made in response to specific findings included…

A study examined secondary vocational education in the Great Oaks Joint Vocational School District in the Cincinnati area. During the study, researchers analyzed data pertaining to the system's vocational program and interviewed 41 individuals involved in the delivery of vocational education in the school district. Based on an analysis of data…

During the summer of 1986, two groups of 25 agriculture teachers from Central America participated in 1-month training programs designed to improve their knowledge and use of effective teaching methods, to develop agricultural skills appropriate to Central America, and to provide a thorough understanding of Louisiana agricultural enterprises and…

This report surveys the vocational education system, work experience programs, and job training programs for youths in Chicago. The report is organized in five sections. It begins with a brief review of the socioeconomic context that affects youth employment in the city of Chicago. Section 2 examines vocational training in the Chicago public…

A project was conducted in Idaho to develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate a cooperative construction and mining training program to provide preapprenticeship training in construction trades, equipment operation and construction truck driving, apprenticeship-related instruction, and classes in more technical areas for journeyworker…

The Single Teen Parent Program conducted by the Orange County, Florida, Public Schools, was designed to help single teen parents acquire marketable skills and jobs in order to head independent family units. The parents served were between the ages of 16 and 20 and either had a high school diploma or had passed the General Educational Development…