Inside the Black Box - Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

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The broadest level is Community/External Relationships/Policy, which influences each of the other three levels. Employers, other workforce programs, the surrounding community, and workforce policy are all important external factors that shape the success of workforce programs and the individuals they serve. The additional cross-cutting component of Role of Data and Outcomes overlays the entire set of levels from the individual through external factors. This ecological model serves as a useful framework for the purposes of conceptualizing the important factors and measurement aspects involved with achieving positive workforce development outcomes. Because multiple factors from all ecological levels play a role in how the individual achieves outcomes, this study provides a unique look at each of these sets of factors, assesses how they influence program success, and explores how these may be measured and used to improve achievement of outcomes. The conceptual framework described here was used throughout the study, including the structure of the protocol of questions during site visit interviews with program administrators as well as the organization of the study results presented in the following chapters. Methodology Workforce development training organizations and their respective training programs were recruited for this study using a process consisting of nomination, selection, and then invitation to participate. Nominations of successful workforce programs were solicited from local experts in Chicago’s workforce development field. The criteria for selection included programs that: (1) had a goal of job placement and retention; (2) are community-based programs that operate within either large, multi-service or small, single-point-of-service organizations; and (3) serve low-income adult service recipients (age 18+) with multiple barriers to employment and retention. Among the 21 nominated programs, 6 workforce programs are included in the final sample for this study. They are described in Appendix A at the conclusion of this report. Qualitative methods were used for this study, specifically a case study approach based on semi-openended, in-depth interviews with organization staff. Interviews and site visits were conducted with program staff for each of the six programs from March through August 2011. A total of 16 workforce staff were interviewed, including organization executive directors, vice presidents, program directors, and other staff. Interview field notes and additional supporting documentation, such as program descriptions and reports, were also included in the data collection. Qualitative software, ATLAS.ti 6, was used to code and analyze the data. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago 10
Review of Recent Literature A review of over 100 documents reveals that much of the literature about workforce development program success can be grouped into two major categories: (1) literature that focuses on outcome and process measurement and (2) literature that identifies promising program practices and organizational characteristics. This review found that despite the prevalence of the promising practices for workforce development programs in existing workforce development literature, the actual measurement of these factors appears limited and is seldom documented. There is a distinct mismatch between what is known and what is measured; despite consensus in the workforce development literature that these practices are important and indicators of success, documentation of their measurement is seldom discussed in the literature. Outcome and Process Measurement Most evaluation of workforce development in the literature focuses on attainment of policymakers’ and funders’ desired outcomes. Job placement, retention, and wages are the primary outcomes discussed, not surprising given the primary goal of most programs—placement in employment, employment retention, and economic self-sufficiency. Additional outcomes considered include enrollment and completion, cost per client trained, skill gains, educational attainment, and certification, but these are not often considered (Wilson, 2005). Certain types of programs, such as community colleges, youth programs, or ex-offender programs, may have alternative primary missions, but the goals of employment are the same. There is significant heterogeneity among workforce development programs in their models, participants, and service-delivery strategies and, as a result, heterogeneity in program-specific outcomes measurement and data collection approaches. For example, programs use various timeframes and outcomes for assessing achievement, including the definition of job placement, the length of time required to measure retention, and how to measure increased wages over time (Bearer-Friend, 2009; Holzer & Nightingale, 2009; Heinrich & Holzer, 2009; Miles, Maguire, Woodruff-Bolte, & Clymer, 2010). As a result, the Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago 11
Page 1 and 2: Inside the Black Box: What Makes Wo
Page 3 and 4: Acknowledgments We would like to th
Page 5 and 6: Policy and Advocacy Efforts .......
Page 7 and 8: Executive Summary The workforce dev
Page 9 and 10: 1. Interface with other required da
Page 11 and 12: While acknowledging funding as a pr
Page 13 and 14: Introduction The workforce developm
Page 15: Figure 1: Interaction of Influences
Page 19 and 20: development system and found that i
Page 21 and 22: for contributing to program success
Page 23 and 24: capture all of the participants’
Page 25 and 26: The organizations also reported tha
Page 27 and 28: that needs to be collected. Another
Page 29 and 30: Recommendation 2: Develop longitudi
Page 31 and 32: seldom systematically collected by
Page 33 and 34: With regard to the planning and dev
Page 35 and 36: models in order to best serve their
Page 37 and 38: organizations are interested in col
Page 39 and 40: Poor attitude, poor work history, o
Page 41 and 42: Organizations often use a wide rang
Page 43 and 44: …a more holistic approach to work
Page 45 and 46: in the industry. Professional crede
Page 47 and 48: Success Factors: Workforce Provider
Page 49 and 50: education or no work experience. Ot
Page 51 and 52: equirements. As part of these effor
Page 53 and 54: given as the reason organizations d
Page 55 and 56: passion to see, to transform this c
Page 57 and 58: permanent job opportunities. These
Page 59 and 60: Meet the Needs of Participants Many
Page 61 and 62: participant is linked to an opening
Page 63 and 64: Provide Business Services to Engage
Page 65 and 66: The organizations in the study all
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community, such as the services the
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depend more heavily on other fundin
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Sometimes a legislation that is out
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on the participants they serve. Als
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Community engagement is also essent
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Website Description Length of Progr
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Eligibility Participants Served Par
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Participants Served ninth grade lev
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Length of Program Size of Program E
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Size of Program Eligibility Partici
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Eligibility Participants Served Ind
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Bragg, D.D., Kim, E., & Barnett, E.
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Herr, T., & Wagner, S. L. (2007). B
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NGA Center for Best Practices, Nati
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The Workforce Boards of Metropolita
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The qualitative design of this proj
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1313 East 60th Street Chicago, IL 6
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