In anticipation of federal welfare reform, the Texas Department of Human Services developed and implemented the REFOCUS program, designed to enhance the economic self-sufficiency of English-as-a-Second-Language recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) through better use of existing education, job training, employment, and…

A study assessed the success of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs by examining current approaches, featuring operational and experimentally based measures, all using the individual as the unit observation. The research used Program Year 1990 JTPA termination and associated program participation records in Illinois and Texas. Two…

This issue of WIN (Welfare Information Network) Issue Notes focuses on helping low-income mothers with criminal records achieve self-sufficiency. Section 1 offers background. Section 2 answers these policy questions: why states might want to focus on serving low-income mothers with criminal records; how states can encourage employers to hire…

The first round of site visits to welfare-to-work programs in Texas examined the nature and degree of program coordination at three sites: El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio. A brief overview of the growing literature on program coordination paid particular attention to welfare-related studies. At the state level, evidence was found of increasing…

To determine how best to connect public work force services in Texas with employers' needs, a study reviewed literature on employer involvement in government-sponsored training programs. Study activities included the following: review of findings from two recent national surveys on employer training, identification of states most strongly…

A study examined Work Incentive (WIN) Demonstration programs in four states. The following programs were reviewed: Employment and Training Choices (in Massachusetts), Michigan Opportunity and Skills Training, the Employment Services Program (in Texas), and JOBS (in Oregon). A strict, across-the-board analysis of the programs was difficult because…

This two-part report describes various strategies for involving the private sector in job training programs and summarizes a study conducted with prime sponsors of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) programs in Texas. Included in a discussion of involving the private sector in job training programs are the following topics: the new…

A Texas study examined the effects of coordination on Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) program services for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients, the REFOCUS-to-JTPA referral process, and rural program coordination issues. The impact of coordination on JTPA services to AFDC caretakers was determined by conducting a…

Written to provide business executives with examples of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) programs that successfully prepare people to be skilled workers, this guide also describes the financial incentives for hiring unemployed and economically disadvantaged persons. In an overview of CETA and Title VII programs, private industry…

This report on the early implementation of the Texas Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program and its impact on participants begins with an executive summary. An introduction outlines key research questions, components, and timelines. Section II covers program design and implementation and substate variations. The next five sections…

This paper reports results of a baseline analysis of Job Training Partnership Act-welfare coordination efforts in Texas. Following an introduction, section II provides a brief overview of the literature on welfare dynamics and program participation and describes Texas programs to move Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients into…

These matrices summarize the content of the certification/chartering requirements established by nine first-round and three second-round implementation states to deliver services in One-Stop Career Centers. Seven areas or dimensions of design/operations are compared. The narrative accompanying the matrices is divided into two sections--a matrix…

An evaluation was conducted of the Texas Food Stamp Employment and Training(E&T)/Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program Conformance Demonstration. The cost analysis determined the impact of the demonstration, the BOND (Better Opportunities for New Directions) program, on costs of administering and providing activity components and support…

This report describes the ways in which the funds for supplemental vocational assistance provided by Title II, Part A, section 204 of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) amendments of 1978 have been used to provide services for eligible CETA participants in Texas. Outlined first are the climate and the background of CETA/education…

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…