The Social Network Study was conducted in 1996 as part of a larger research project that looked at the experience of men and women with different racial, ethnic, educational backgrounds, and career paths in the Philadelphia labor market. Data were gathered through a survey focused on the relationship between work experience, training, and the…

The Enterprise Florida Jobs and Education Partnership has taken actions to resolve issues raised in a previous report. The legislature has expanded the partnership's work force development (WFD) role; assigned it a role in implementing the state's welfare-to-work program; and established additional incentive funding for WFD program outcomes. The…

California's Employment Training Panel Program (ETP), the largest state-funded customized training program for incumbent workers in the nation, has had a positive impact on the economy of California, and its success has policy implications for other state programs. The impact of ETP on trainees includes the following: they are more attached to the…

A study examined the labor market problems of the United States' out-of-school youth population and trends in the development and attempted solution of those problems over the past 20 years. The study's major areas of focus were as follows: trends in the nation's out-of-school youth population's size and demographic composition; trends in the…

This second biennial outcome evaluation analyzes results of nine programs in Washington's work force training system that account for approximately 90 percent of public spending and recommends areas for improvement. Findings are from: program records on over 65,000 individuals who left one of the programs during the 1995-96 school year; mail…

The Massachusetts Council on Vocational Education surveyed 500 members of business and industry in 125 program advisory committees regarding involvement in the Job Training Partnership Act. The purpose of the survey was to document private sector perspectives on the content and value of their participation on vocational-technical education…

A study examined the types and extent of overlap among federal employment and training (E&T) programs targeting economically disadvantaged persons, dislocated workers, older workers, and youth. Of 38 programs analyzed, 30 shared common goals, had comparable clients, provided similar services, and used parallel delivery mechanisms and…

A need for remediation has been increasingly apparent within vocational education and job-related skill training. The current debates about basic skills and literacy reveal ambiguities in the definition of the problem and the focus of the concern. Telephone questionnaires and program visits provided information about remedial offerings within…

Special Vocational Services in Salt Lake City has provided food service training, using the facilities of a local high school and the University of Utah, to special needs youth meeting Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) guidelines. The use of industry-based equipment, a formal dining room, and a qualified staff have assured relevant training to…

A pilot project was undertaken in South Bedfordshire, England, to develop a work-based job training program for out-of-school youth. The program was based on a partnership between local educators and employers and featured an integrated curriculum that combined work-based learning with off-the-job training. Besides integrating occupational and…

A summary of an in-depth study of the training component of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), this volume consists of a series of findings and recommendations emerging from a national survey of 476 CETA prime sponsors. It provides a comprehensive review of CETA training based on the analysis of longitudinal data on the quality,…

Because of various flaws in their design, most research studies that have up to now examined the transition of youth to the work setting have failed to pinpoint ways of improving existing programs. Many of these design flaws (including lack of a uniform set of outcome measures, failure to routinely incorporate control groups, and failure to design…

A study examined the following four alternatives to traditional vocational-technical high schools for delivering vocational education: apprenticeship programs, Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) programs, cooperative education, and industrial training. Two survey instruments were created specifically for the study: (1) a worker…

This document presents the final report of a study conducted by the Committee on Evaluation and Training Programs to assess the impact of CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) on manpower programs. The report examines the differences between CETA Title I programs and their predecessors and compares legislative goals with results. It…

The federal policy shift from skills training and toward work first strategies has come about, in part, from a misconception that "training does not work." A more comprehensive look at existing research reveals the documented effectiveness of skills training. A growing number of studies have shown skills training can increase earnings;…