Study Details | Pathways to Work

24989.03-Pathways for Advanci

Study quality: Low

Intervention: Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA)

Population and employment barriers: High school diploma or GED

Services provided: Financial education, Soft skills training, Supportive services, Case management, Education, Occupational or sectoral training, Training

Setting: Tested in multiple settings

Study Design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

For this study, the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA) recruited residents of Hidalgo, Starr, or Willacy counties in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas who were interested in high-demand occupations. Participants were required to be low-income, public assistance recipients, underemployed, or unemployed; at least 18 years of age; and eligible to work in the United States. Participants were also required to have a high school diploma or general education diploma. After being deemed eligible and completing baseline and consent forms, the study randomly assigned 478 participants to the intervention group and 480 participants to the comparison group. Enrollment occurred between November 2011 and June 2014.

Time period of study:

Enrollment occurred from November 2011 to June 2014, and the study presents findings from the first 24 months after random assignment.

Pathways only reports results from studies with a study quality rating of high or moderate.

Sample Characteristics

Sex

Female	71%
Male	29%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	1%
White	3%
Hispanic or Latino of any race	96%

Participant employment and public benefit status

Had low incomes

100%

Participant education

Had some postsecondary education	73%
Had a high school diploma or GED	100%

Intervention Implementation

Implementing organization:

VIDA, a community-based organization, provided program services in partnership with local colleges and universities.

Intervention services:

The VIDA program analyzed local labor markets to understand which occupations were in high-demand in the region. VIDA participants enrolled full time in educational programs offered through five partnering colleges or universities in these high-demand fields. Educational programs included certificate programs, associate's degree programs, or the last two years of coursework to receive a bachelor's degree. Those who were not deemed college-ready participated in the College Prep Academy, a 16-week basic skills remediation program provided through a local college. Participants received intensive counseling services on a weekly basis either in one-on-one or group settings. Counseling sessions focused on life skills, such as time management and budgeting, as well as skills to support success in participants' education programs. VIDA also offered a range of supportive services, including financial aid; funding for books, tools, or uniforms needed for programming; connection to child care; transportation assistance; and emergency assistance.

Comparison services:

Participants in the comparison group were unable to receive services from VIDA. They could receive other services provided in their communities, which included the same college programs VIDA offered. However, the coordination of services and the particular bundling of services VIDA provided was exclusive to those in the intervention group.

Study Publications

Gardiner, K., and R. Juras (2019). Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE): Cross-program implementation and impact study findings, OPRE Report #2019-32, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/pace_cross_program_implementation_and_impact_study_findings_final.pdf.

Rolston, H., E. Copson, and K. Gardiner (2017). Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement: Implementation and early impact report, OPRE Report #2017-83, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/vida_implementation_and_early_impact_report_final_b508.pdf.

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Study of Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA)