The key to success in Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) programs is a philosophy of high expectations. The philosophy accommodates both client and societal concerns. Highlights of the philosophy include the following: respecting the client's goals; giving nonjudgmental acceptance, constant encouragement, and emotional support;…

A study was conducted to determine what was happening in literacy programs as a result of the major welfare reform law passed in 1996, and whether basic skills instruction was part of the solution. A nationwide search for exemplary programs that are using basic skills instruction as a fundamental component of assisting welfare recipients in moving…

JOBS (Job Opportunities in the Business Sector) participation data from federal reports for December 1990 were reviewed for 9 of the 10 states of the South (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Kentucky information was not available at the time of review. Although federal…

A study obtained information on examples of county or local Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) or JOBS-like programs that emphasize job placement, subsidized employment, or work experience positions for welfare recipients. It also identified the extent to which county JOBS programs nationwide used these employment-focused activities and…

Achieving good quality in Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) training is hampered by the lack of a common definition of quality. Five ideas have been consistent in definitions: targeting programs; long-term, in-depth training; basic education; work skills training; and supportive services and guidance. A definition must include suggestions on how…

As states implement new strategies to help more families make the transition from welfare to work, they will be faced with the challenge of designing programs that address the needs of an extremely diverse population of families. Some families will be able to make the transition to work with limited assistance, especially in a strong economy.…

The General Accounting Office examined the spending, outcomes, and performance of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) and Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs. Federal expenditure data were analyzed, legislation and regulations specifying data collection/reporting requirements and performance standards for the programs were…

JOBS (Job Opportunities in the Business Sector) implementation faces major challenges in every state, but two issues are of particular importance in the South: the impact of low welfare benefits and the impact of low educational levels among Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients. The impact of low welfare benefits shows up…

This report provides descriptions and statistics on Georgia's ten Youth Development Centers designed for the care of delinquent children. Title I courses include business education, cultural enrichment, small appliance, furniture repair, and basic skills, with an emphasis on the latter. Results of the enrichment courses fall in the cognitive,…

The 1983 Indianapolis Project STRIVE was designed to address the problem of youth unemployment while increasing opportunities for career education, enhancement of self-esteem, and the development of leadership skills among older adolescents, 16 to 21 years of age. Concurrently STRIVE was designed to provide elementary students with instruction in…

The Services for Transition to Independence through Education (STRIDE) project evaluated a model for providing comprehensive training and employment services to adults with mild handicaps, using existing vocational education classes and special needs support programs in a secondary vocational technical school in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Services…

A study identified and analyzed successful national youth projects which have the highest job placement rates, the highest rate of returning youths to school, and the most effective combination of basic skills remediation and job placement. The analysis and identification was based on a summary of literature; discussions with local, state, and…

In preparation for the mandatory administration of the New Jersey High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) that was to begin with ninth graders in 1986, a pilot program was conducted with ninth graders who had done poorly on the HSPT during its second, nonmandatory administration in 1985. Approximately 125 students were selected (25 in each of five…

This series of fifteen reports reviews available information on youth employment program experience. (It constitutes the third of a three-volume compendium; other volumes examine the causes and dimensions of youth employment problems and cover special needs and problems of youth employment policy--see note.) The youth employment delivery system,…

This document records testimony on youth employment and welfare reform jobs given before a U.S. Senate subcommittee in March, 1980. The testimony concerns the Carter Administration's proposed legislation for youth employment programs for Fiscal Years 1981-82. Issues raised include funding; effectiveness of current programs, such as the…