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Job Corps

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Job Corps is a no-cost education and vocational training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor that helps young people ages 16 through 24 get a better job, make more money, and take control of their lives. At Job Corps, students enroll to learn a trade, earn a high school diploma or GED and get help finding a good job. When participants join the program, they will be paid a monthly allowance; the longer they stay with the program, the more the allowance will be. Job Corps provides career counseling and transition support to its students for up to 12 months after they graduate from the program.

Goal / Mission

As a national, primarily residential training program, Job Corps' mission is to attract eligible young adults, teach them the skills they need to become employable and independent, and place them in meaningful jobs or further education.

Impact

Evaluations showed that Job Corps substantially increased the education and training that program participants received. Nearly 90% of the program group engaged in some education or training (both in and out of Job Corps), compared with about 64% of the control group.

Results / Accomplishments

The evaluation used a controlled experimental design with random assignment. Job Corps substantially increased the education and training that program participants received. Nearly 90% of the program group engaged in some education or training (both in and out of Job Corps), compared with about 64% of the control group (p < 0.05). Job Corps participants spent about 5.6 hours per week more in programs than they would have if they had not enrolled in the program (p < 0.05). Program group members spent an average of 4.6 hours per week in academic classes, compared with 3.6 hours per week for the control group (p < 0.05). The program group typically received significantly more vocational training as the control group (4.5 vs. 1.0 hours per week, p < 0.05). Job Corps led to significant increases in the receipt of GED or high school diploma and vocational certificates (p's < 0.05). Job Corps participants were significantly more likely than the control group to be employed or in school over the course of the follow-up (p < 0.05). Job Corps generated positive employment and earnings impacts; in the last quarter of the 30-month follow-up period, the gain in average weekly earnings per participant was $18, or 11 percent (p < 0.05).

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Labor
Primary Contact
Job Corps National Office
200 Constitution Avenue NW, Suite N4463
Washington DC 20210
202-693-3000
National_office@jobcorps.gov
http://www.jobcorps.gov/
Topics
Education / Educational Attainment
Economy / Employment
Organization(s)
U.S. Department of Labor
Source
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's Model Programs Guide (MPG)
Date of publication
2001
Date of implementation
1994
For more details
https://www.crimesolutions.gov/ProgramDetails.aspx...
http://wdr.doleta.gov/opr/fulltext/00-JC_outcomes....
Target Audience
Children

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  5. Supporting Adolescents with Guidance and Employment (SAGE)
  6. Improved Solutions for Urban Systems' High Schools

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Related Content for: Job Corps

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.
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