This article describes the activities of two consortia that consist of individuals who assist people who are blind and visually impaired to secure employment. Consortia members are direct service employment specialists who focus on five critical activities: preparing consumers for job seeking, job development, placement, follow-up, and job…

The Work Experience Program at the American School for the Deaf (Connecticut) involves students with multiple handicaps spending half of their school week in the classroom focusing on language, practical math, social studies, and science, and half their week at jobs, with the teacher serving as job coach and supervisor. (JDD)

This paper describes a successful model of supported employment developed by a single small agency previously providing services as a segregated day activity center. Included is discussion of the service agency, program methodology, barriers to successful community-based employment, manner in which barriers were overcome, program outcomes, and…

This paper describes an innovative public and private strategic workforce development alliance, the Pathways to Employment Program (Pathways), developed by the Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pathways is a partnership of CPCC, the Charlotte Department of Social Services, 12 community businesses, 6 social…

This report profiles programs conducted in 19 cities during the summer of 1996 to employ youth in the private sector. In most of the programs, the youth served were disadvantaged; the programs were created or enhanced in order to replace funds that were cut under Title IIB of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). The report contains 20…

This paper presents a collaborative employment placement and training structure which provides a flexible format for implementing various natural support models for the employment of individuals with severe disabilities. A team approach is used to develop and implement job assessment, training, and follow-up activities. Each team may be composed…

This report contains testimony regarding various proposals to reform and consolidate federal job training programs, with special attention to the provision, benefits, problems, and funding needs of the Job Corps program. Statements by the following individuals are presented: U.S. Senators from the states of Illinois, Vermont, Utah, Kansas, Iowa,…

This report provides a cost-benefit analysis of a program that provides publicly-funded treatment and support for persons who are addicted to alcohol or other drugs and who are judged to be indigent, unemployable, and incapacitated due to their addiction. The study focused on two client outcomes: (1) determine employment outcomes during an 18…

One part of a study of the difference that services under Title IIA of the National Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) make in the employment, earnings, and welfare receipt of adults and out-of-school youths served by the program focused on the following: recruiting sites, monitoring the implementation of the research design, and describing and…

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…

The Youth Employment Program Assistance Project was a New York City initiative to demonstrate how employment training for out-of-school, economically disadvantaged youth can be made educationally vigorous. It involved four training programs with a few hundred students. The project focused on the following principles and goals: all learning…

Only about 15 percent of incoming high school freshmen graduate and then complete a four-year college degree program within 6 years of high school graduation; however, most of the efforts of U.S. schools are directed toward those students. A review of literature and other research shows that a comprehensive school-to-work transition strategy would…

A study examined the types of career guidance (CG) opportunities that exist for disadvantaged youth. The essential elements and potential benefits of CG were identified through an extensive review of career development literature. National survey research, meta-analysis, and individual program documentation and evaluations were reviewed to…

The Enterprise Florida Jobs and Education Partnership was developed to create and maintain a highly skilled work force able to respond to rapidly changing technology and market opportunities essential to a competitive Florida economy. A review of the partnership found the following: (1) the partnership has adopted a research design as required by…

Under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), states face steadily increasing work participation requirements. The TANF structure presents one new option: the ability to use TANF funds for community service employment in wage-paying, publicly funded jobs designed to provide work for individuals and to address unmet community needs. A…