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Summary

Per Scholas provided a computer technician training program, internships, soft skills training, and supportive services to participants with low incomes. The program aimed to help participants obtain computer certification and find jobs in the information technology sector.

Per Scholas participants enrolled in a 15-week computer technician training program that consisted of instruction and practice related to assembly, configuration, installation, upgrade, and repair of personal computers, printers, and copiers.

The training program prepared participants to obtain an entry-level computer certification. After the training, Per Scholas offered participants internships with local employers or with the Per Scholas recycling and refurbishing center.

The program also provided life skills training, employability training, career mentoring, job placement assistance, post-employment services, and assistance with work attire.

Participants were people with low incomes who had a GED or a high school diploma, had inconsistent participation in the labor market, and met standards for proficiency in English and math. Per Scholas was implemented in New York City, NY.

Two studies focused on Per Scholas. The first, a study of sector-based programs, also evaluated two other interventions: Jewish Vocational Service-Boston and the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership. In the second study, Per Scholas implemented a WorkAdvance Model. This model provided technical training similar to that provided in the first study and offered more intensive career readiness services, including interview preparation, résumé development, and soft skills training. It also offered career advancement services, including career coaching while in training and postemployment coaching focused on obtaining promotions, higher wages, better benefits, or additional training. WorkAdvance is a sector-based workforce development model. Three other sites implemented the WorkAdvance model as part of the WorkAdvance Demonstration: Madison Strategies Group in Tulsa, OK; St. Nick’s Alliance in Brooklyn, NY; and Towards Employment in northeast Ohio.     

Populations and employment barriers:
Populations and employment barriers: High school diploma or GED

Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain

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Outcome domain Term Effectiveness rating Effect in 2018 dollars and percentages Effect in standard deviations Sample size
Increase earnings Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $293 per year 0.014 690
Long-term Supported favorable $4,309 per year 0.206 1027
Very long-term Supported favorable $4,560 per year 0.218 690
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable -3% (in percentage points) -0.080 690
Long-term Not supported favorable 3% (in percentage points) 0.075 1027
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable -1% (in percentage points) -0.025 690
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term No evidence to assess support
Long-term No evidence to assess support
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable $94 per year 0.034 690
Increase education and training All measurement periods No evidence to assess support

Studies of this intervention

Study quality rating Study counts per rating
High High 2

Implementation details

Dates covered by study

Two studies focused on the implementation and impacts of Per Scholas. In the first study, participants enrolled and were randomly assigned to the program in 2003. The study followed participants for 24–30 months after enrollment. In the second study, participants enrolled and were randomly assigned from June 2011 to June 2013. As of 2022, findings are reported through the end of 2020.

Organizations implementing intervention

Per Scholas is a nonprofit that provides training and employment services focused on the information technology sector. The organization began providing services in 1998. Per Scholas has established strong relationships with local information technology employers.

Populations served

All Per Scholas participants were required to hold a GED or high school diploma and test at a 10th-grade level in English and math prior to enrollment. Participation in Per Scholas was voluntary.

In the first study, 28 percent of participants had additional education beyond a high school diploma. A majority of participants (76 percent) were male. Fifty percent were Black, not Hispanic, 41 percent were Hispanic or Latino, 3 percent were White, not Hispanic, and the remaining 6 percent identified as another race. Twenty-six percent of participants were employed at the time of random assignment. Twenty-six percent of participants were born outside the United States.

In the second study, participants were required to be age 18 or older, be legally allowed to work in the United States, have a monthly family income less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and earn less than $15 per hour if employed at intake. Sixty-three percent of participants had additional education beyond a high school diploma or GED. A majority of participants (87 percent) were male. Forty-four percent of participants were Black, not Hispanic, 36 percent were Hispanic or Latino, 5 percent were White, not Hispanic, and the remaining 14 percent identified as another race. A majority of participants (96 percent) had ever been employed prior to random assignment and 13 percent were employed at the time of random assignment. Twenty-eight percent of participants were born outside the United States.

Description of services implemented

Per Scholas offered services focused on training and employment in the information technology sector. The services included:

  • Intensive screening before enrollment. Per Scholas screened applicants for eligibility and conducted interviews. The program required applicants to test at a 10th-grade level in English and math, and hold a GED or high school diploma.
  • Career readiness services. Per Scholas used a curriculum focused on the information technology sector to provide career readiness services; career readiness modules were integrated into the occupational skills training throughout the week. Examples of activities included completing sample interview questions about technical jobs, reviewing industry career maps, developing a “60-second pitch,” and learning about recent developments in the industry.
  • Occupation skills training. Per Scholas provided occupational skills training focused on technical skill development. Per Scholas offered CompTIA A+ certification for entry-level computer service technicians. Per Scholas added CompTIA Network+ trainings at the time of the second study. Trainings were offered full time during regular business hours. Per Scholas also offered paid internships to some participants. These internships provided the opportunity to apply skills from the technical trainings.
  • Job development and placement. Per Scholas prepared participants for interviews, helped with résumé development, and made job matches between participants and employer partners.
  • Retention and advancement services. At the time of the second study, Per Scholas provided retention services, which included quarterly one-on-one coaching, invitations to job skills workshops, and direct communication with employers about a participant’s performance during the first 90 days at the job. Per Scholas staff provided these services after a participant completed occupational skills training and began work in a job.

During the first study, the CompTIA A+ certification exam changed. In response, Per Scholas changed the training curriculum. Per Scholas also revised the curriculum to include training on Apple computers. During the second study, the curriculum was modified to include more hands-on activities and training on hand-held devices. An advisory group of local employers in the information technology sector also reviewed the curriculum.

Evaluators did not report information on the structure of trainings during the first study. In the second study, participants completed trainings in cohorts of 15–20 participants. Throughout trainings, program staff provided additional coaching and supportive services to keep participants engaged. Based on employer feedback over time, Per Scholas added a training focused on software. Staff also updated the career readiness curriculum and classroom requirements to focus more on soft skills, such as interview skills, and expected workplace behaviors, such as appropriate dress and arriving on time. Employers identified these skills as important when making hiring decisions about program participants.

Service intensity

Participants in the first study attended a 15-week, 500-hour-long computer technician training program. Seventy-eight percent of participants completed the training program. The duration of participation in other services, such as internships and life skills training, varied.

In the second study, career readiness services were delivered in 12 sessions, each lasting 7 hours. Occupational skills training lasted 15 weeks. Ninety-six percent of participants completed career readiness activities and occupational skills trainings. Forty-nine percent of participants received other supportive services during the program. The study authors cite the intervention’s extensive screening process as a key reason for high uptake of services.

Comparison conditions

People randomly assigned to the comparison condition could not participate in services provided by Per Scholas but could receive any other services in the community.

Partnerships

During the first study, Per Scholas had formal partnerships with local support agencies, including food banks, family service centers, and organizations that provided professional clothing for interviews.

The second study did not discuss any partners involved with implementing the Per Scholas intervention.

Staffing

The first study did not report staffing information. During the second study, thirteen staff members—10 full time and 3 part time—supported Per Scholas. One full-time coordinator, one recruiter, and one part-time administrative assistant oversaw the program. One part-time intake specialist and two full-time screening specialists oriented participants and provided career readiness services. One full-time follow-up counselor and three full-time career coaches provided case management and career coaching services. Two full-time job developers provided job development services. One part-time follow-up counselor managed data for the study.

Fidelity measures

The studies did not discuss any tools to measure fidelity to the intervention model.

Funding source

The first study did not report funding information. The second study was funded by the Social Innovation Fund, Corporation for National and Community Service, a public–private partnership.

Cost information

The average cost per participant was $6,503 in 2018 dollars.

This figure is based on cost information reported by authors of the study or studies the Pathways Clearinghouse reviewed for this intervention. The Pathways Clearinghouse converted that information to a single amount expressed in 2018 dollars; for details, see the FAQ. Where there are multiple studies of an intervention rated high or moderate quality, the Pathways Clearinghouse computed the average of costs reported across those studies.

Cost information is not directly comparable across interventions due to differences in the categories of costs reported and the amount of time interventions lasted. Cost information is not an official price tag or guarantee.

Local context

Per Scholas operated in New York City, NY.
The first study did not include information on the local context. In 2011, the first year of the second study, the unemployment rate was 8 percent; the unemployment rate steadily declined to 6 percent in 2015, which was when service delivery ended. In New York City, the number of people employed in the information technology sector rose slightly throughout the intervention; 119,292 people were employed in the sector when random assignment began in the third quarter of 2011, and this number rose to 125,702 at the conclusion of random assignment in the third quarter of 2013.

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
46%
White, not Hispanic
4%
Another race
12%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
38%

The Pathways Clearinghouse refers to interventions by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some intervention names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.