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Abt Associates evaluated the Bridges to Career Opportunities (BCO) program, developed by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), to determine whether adults with low incomes and low skills who participate in BCO services are more likely to increase their employment and financial stability than do adults who participate in LISC's Financial Opportunity Center® (FOC) services alone. Overall, participants who were in the BCO programs were 19 percentage points more likely to have a "job improvement" than were participants in FOC-only programs (56 percent versus 37 percent). [This report was submitted to and supported by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).]

This report documents the implementation and early impacts of the Workforce Training Academy Connect (WTA Connect) program, operated by Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Des Moines, Iowa. WTA Connect aimed to help low-income, low-skilled adults access and complete occupational training that can lead to increased employment and higher earnings. It is one of nine career pathways programs being evaluated under the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families. Using a rigorous research design, the study found that WTA Connect resulted in a modest increase in attainment of credentials by participants within the 18-month follow-up period, but no other educational or career impacts. Future reports will examine whether this credential effect translates into gains in employment and earnings. Primary research questions for the study include: (1) Was the intervention implemented as designed?; (2) How did services received differ between study participants who could access the WTA Connect program versus those who could not?; and (3) What were the effects of access to WTA Connect on short-term educational outcomes: credentials attained and hours of occupational training received?

This report provides early evidence on the implementation and impacts of the Madison Area Technical College Patient Care Pathway program, which aimed to help low-skilled students in the Madison, Wisconsin, area access occupational training in the growing healthcare sector. The Patient Care Pathway program adapted and linked existing programs at the college to create three one-semester academies offering low-skilled students an accelerated pathway into their chosen healthcare program. It is one of nine programs embodying elements of the career pathways framework that are the subject of the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) evaluation. The Patient Care Pathway program consists of three key elements: (1) a structured healthcare training pathway for students with low skill levels; (2) contextualized and accelerated basic skills instruction packaged with credit-bearing courses; and (3) proactive advising to help students to navigate the program admission process, develop an academic plan, and identify and address academic and non-academic barriers to program completion. Using a rigorous research design, the study found that the Patient Care Pathway program did not increase number of college credits earned, the confirmatory outcome for the evaluation. The program increased the likelihood of enrollment in occupational training, but did not increase hours of occupational training received or the attainment of education credentials within an 18-month follow-up period.

This report documents the implementation and early impacts of Year Up--a national sectoral training program for urban young adults aged 18-24. Operated by an organization of the same name, Year Up provides six months of full-time training in the IT and financial service sectors followed by six-month internships at major firms. The full-time program provides extensive supports--including weekly stipends--and puts a heavy emphasis on the development of professional and technical skills. Year Up is one of nine programs in the federally sponsored Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) evaluation. It is among the most intensive workforce training programs tested to date. More than half (59 percent) of the program's $28,290 per-participant cost is funded by employer payments for interns. Using a random assignment design, the study found that Year Up increased receipt of employment and training services. Compared to control group members who were not able to access the program, treatment group members were more likely to report that their classes used active learning methods, taught life skills, and were relevant to their lives and careers. Most importantly, young adults with access to Year Up had higher average quarterly earnings in the sixth and seventh quarters after random assignment--the confirmatory outcome selected to gauge Year Up's overall success for this report. Persisting over a three-year follow-up period, Year Up's earnings impacts are the largest reported to date for workforce programs tested using a random assignment design.