1998 S Social Services - Center for Employment Training Service contract - - 02-03-1998-8h

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CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT TRAINING, RESEARCH TRIANGLE NARRATNE The Research Triangle Park, North Carolina Center for Employment Training (RTP-CET) was founded in June 1995. A demonstration project for North Carolina's Community Colleges, JOBS/WorkFirst and other training programs, the RTP-CET is centrally located to serve the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area and surrounding counties. The RTP-CET service population characteristics for FY'96P97 were: 92°r6 female (157 female and 14 males }; 88% black, 11 °~ white; 2°r6 Hispanic; 80% Work First clients (137 DSS vs. 34 Non-DSS); 57°~ long-term AFDCrTANF; 5°~ ex/offender; 73°r6 below 9th grade math level (TARE tested}; 54°~b below 9th grade reading level (TABS tested}; 30°x6 dropout ; 94% unmarried; 93°r6 single parent; 1 °~ two parent families; 8% teen parent; 11 % age to 21; 85°r6 between the age of 22 and 44; and 95°~b multiple barriers to employment. In its first year of opera#ion, CETlRTP had an 82% placement rate of 63 graduates with an average salary of $7.34 an hour. in our second year, 100 trainees were placed with an 81 % placement rate (not including those who left for schoollother training) and an average hourly wage of $7.49. The great majority (80+°r6) of employed graduates also have benefits. EVALUATION Results Although the demonstration's start-up and second year phase was delayed, and impacted due to confounding extraneous factors (reduction in referrals), the RTP-CET has made great strides towards perfecting the CET model and serving its target population. CET has been participating in an evaluation funded by the North Carolina Department of Human Resources, to measure program effectiveness of training opportunities around the state. Listed below are some of CETs outcomes: • Highest percentage of participants who left training for employment • Highest percentage of participants working 30 hours or more per week • Highest percentage of partiapants with benefits • Highest median hourly wage (CET = $7.50; JRTC = $5.00; RITE =$6.00) • Highest average hourly/projected annual wage per employed participant • Highest percentage projected to earn $10,000 or more annually • Highest percentage earning above poverty level (family of 3 ($12,156.00) The final draft `Outcomes Assessment of CET and RITE Programs° reports the following key findings regarding CET/RTP: • Higher job placement [retention] rates than RITE and WorkFirst comparisons (80+% at six months -the highest of any program ever studied by the researchers) • Higher earnings than RITE and WorkFirst comparisons • Greater decrease in TANF and food stamps use over nine months • High levels of program satisfaction (expressed by trainees/graduates)