Authors
Mary Farrell, MEF Associates and Karin Martinson, Abt Global
Bridge to Employment is an effort developed by the San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) to help low-income, low-skilled adults access and complete occupational training that can lead to increased employment and higher earnings. It is one of nine career pathways programs Abt Global and partners are evaluating under the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) study, sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families.
This particular program model included case management services to assist with selecting healthcare training programs and addressing barriers to participation, funding for training costs and other expenses, and employment services to help participants find a job after training.
Abt’s evaluation of this program included:
- An implementation study of the design and operation of the program as well as participation patterns of students enrolled; and
- An impact study that compared the educational and other outcomes of study participants 18 months after they were assigned at random to either a treatment group that could access the Bridge to Employment in the Healthcare Industry program or a control group who could not but could seek other services in the community.
Abt and partners found that the program increased the credentials its participants received and increased employment in a healthcare occupation within the 18-month follow-up period. Future reports will examine whether these effects translate into economic gains in the workplace in the longer term.
San Diego County Bridge to Employment Implementation and Early Impact:
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