Study Details | Pathways to Work

24989.04-Pathways for Advanci

Study quality: Low

Low

Reason for the rating: This study received a low study quality rating because it is a high-attrition randomized controlled trial that does not demonstrate that the intervention and comparison groups were sufficiently similar before the intervention.

Intervention: Bridge to Employment in the Healthcare Industry (BTH)

Services provided: Case management, Employment retention services, Supportive services, Training, Occupational or sectoral training, Work readiness activities, Job search assistance, Job development/job placement

Setting: Tested in multiple settings

Study Design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

Participants were eligible for the study if they were at least 18 years of age, either received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) at the time of random assignment or met the study's definition of being low-income, held their high school diploma or general education diploma, were eligible to work in the United States, and were residents of San Diego County. Participants were also required to achieve a minimum score on a basic-skills exam. A total of 1,007 eligible individuals were randomly assigned to an intervention (507) or to a comparison (500) condition from July 2012 through October 2013.

Time period of study:

Random assignment occurred from July 2012 through October 2013, with follow-up 18 months after random assignment.

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

Sample Characteristics

Sex

Female	84%
Male	16%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	22%
White, not Hispanic	20%
Hispanic or Latino of any race	47%
Another race	15%

Participant employment and public benefit status

Had low incomes

100%

Participant education

Had some postsecondary education	60%
Had a high school diploma or GED	96%
Did not have a high school diploma or GED	4%

Intervention Implementation

Implementing organization:

Three community-based organizations (Comprehensive Training Services, Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee, and North County Lifeline) implemented the program.

Intervention services:

Bridge to Employment in the Healthcare Industry participants were low-income residents of San Diego County who were interested in occupations in the health care field. Participants first met with a counselor who helped them select a training program that was a strong fit. Training programs could be any accredited training program in San Diego County within three occupational health care groups: patient care, technical, or administrative. The counselor also identified any participation barriers participants might face and connected them to appropriate supportive services (worth up to $1,000), such as transportation or child care assistance. Participants received Individual Training Accounts, which were funds to cover the cost of the training. The program offered up to $7,000 in funding for most training programs, but up to $10,000 was offered for certain fields. Finally, the program provided employment services and job search assistance after participants completed their training programs.

Mandatory services:

None.

Comparison services:

Individuals in the comparison condition could access training programs in the community. They might have been able to identify and receive a set of services similar to those provided by Bridge to Employment, but doing so likely would have been challenging. TANF recipients within the comparison group also received case management, certain supportive services, and employment services.

Study Publications

Farrell, Mary, and Karin Martinson (2017). The San Diego County Bridge to Employment in the Healthcare Industry Program: Implementation and early impact report, OPRE Report #2017-41, 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/bridge_to_employment_implementation_and_early_impact_report_final_pdf.pdf.

Gardiner, Karen, and Randall 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.

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Study of Bridge to Employment in the Healthcare Industry (BTH)