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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Providing employment services to the long-term unemployed: Implementation and sustainability of the programs in the Ready to Work Partnership grant evaluation (Copson et al., 2020))

  • Findings

    See findings section of this profile.

    Evidence Rating

Review Guidelines

Implementation Guidelines

This study was conducted by staff from Abt Associates, which co-administers CLEAR. The review of this study was conducted by ICF, which co-administers CLEAR and is trained in applying the CLEAR implementation study guidelines. 

Citation

Copson, E., Martinson, K., Elkin, S., Sarfo, B., Kappil, T., Morrison, C., & Sierks, C. (2020). Providing employment services to the long-term unemployed: Implementation and sustainability of the programs in the Ready to Work Partnership grant evaluation. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor. Rockville, MD: Abt Associates.

Highlights

  • The study’s objective was to examine the implementation of the Ready to Work Partnership Grant program which provides grants to local organizations to enhance job opportunities in their communities and lower unemployment rates. This profile focuses on the Reboot Northwest (Reboot NW) program. 
  • The study authors conducted an implementation evaluation using administrative data from the Reboot NW program and qualitative data obtained through interviews with program staff and partners/employers collaborating with the Reboot NW program.  
  • The study revealed that most participants pursued occupational training in IT and software, while few opted for work-based training due to administrative hurdles and employer recruitment challenges. Additionally, the cohort training method was found to effectively engage participants and meet employer needs.  
  • The authors did not provide detailed information about steps taken to ensure data quality and their approach to data analysis. 
  • The companion impact study was reviewed by CLEAR in April 2024 and can be found here: The Ready to Work Partnership Grant evaluation: Final report of the impact study of four employment services programs for the long-term unemployed (Klerman et al., 2022).

Intervention Examined

Reboot Northwest (Reboot NW) Program

Features of the Intervention

  • Type of organization: Nonprofit organization  
  • Location/setting: Multi-site in Washington state and Oregon 
  • Population served and scale: Long-term Unemployed or Underemployed; 1,000 participants served 
  • Industry focus: Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology (IT), and software fields 
  • Intervention activities: Job search and employment readiness assistance, occupational training, and work-based training 
  • Organizational partnerships: Contracted Supportive Services organizations  
  • Cost: Not Included 
  • Fidelity: Not Included  

The Ready to Work (RTW) grant program, funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), awarded grants to local organizations to improve the long-term employment prospects of their local community and to reduce unemployment. In response to the 2008-2009 recession and rise in long-term unemployment, the DOL awarded $180 million in grants in 2014 to offer tailored employment services to individuals who had been out of work for 27 weeks or more. The grants focused on employment in high-growth industries and occupations, specifically those being filled by H1-B foreign workers.  

The Reboot NW program was a joint effort by three Workforce Investment Boards across Oregon and Washington. Led by Worksystems Inc., the program operated from April 2015 to June 2019 at eight American Job Centers, also known as WorkSource centers. The Reboot NW program provided employment readiness courses, occupational training, work-based training, and job search assistance. Program activities focused on jobs in advanced manufacturing, information technology, and software development fields.  

Features of the Study

The study authors conducted an implementation evaluation of the Reboot NW program and collected data through site visits and three rounds of in-person interviews with grantee program administrators, line staff, and organizational partners between 2016 and 2018. Additionally, to examine participation patterns, the study analyzed program administrative data. The study primarily intended to examine how the program evolved over the four-year grant period and analyze participation patterns. Study authors did not provide specific details regarding the qualitative and administrative data methods of analysis.  

Findings

Intervention Activities/Services 

  • The study found that, according to program staff, cohort-style training effectively engaged participants by connecting the training directly to specific job opportunities and building relationships with employers seeking candidates interested in particular training areas. 
  • Program staff viewed the Career Link workshop as a crucial opportunity for participants with limited recent work experience. It allowed them to gain insights into their target industries through employer speakers, worksite tours, and peer support sharing their industry experiences. 

Considerations for Interpreting the Findings

While the implementation evaluation of the Reboot NW program mainly relied on site visits and interviews with program staff, the study authors did not provide details of how they analyzed the data or ensured the quality of the site visits and interviews. 

Additional Sources

Klerman, J.A., Herr, J.L., & Martinson. K. (2022). The Ready to Work Partnership Grant evaluation: Final report of the impact study of four employment services programs for the long-term unemployed. Prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor. Rockville, MD: Abt Associates.

Reviewed by CLEAR

December 2024

Topic Area