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July 2011Program Technical Assistance Series
This brief was researched and wri
en by Chris Warland of the Na
t
onal Transi
t
onal Jobs Network Thanks to the CARA Program, the Center for Employment Opportuni
t
es, ROCA, Inc., and Workforce, Inc. Special thanks to Shelli Rossman and Janine Zweig of the Urban Ins
t
t
onaljobs.netcwarland@heartlandalliance.org
Ensuring that the Transi
t
onal Job is a Developmental Experience
TJ
Toolbox
Wage-paying,
me-limited employment is the Transi
onal Job (TJ) strategy’s de
ning feature and what sets it apart from other workforce strategies. Transi
onal employment is intended and designed to meet mul
ple cri
cal needs for low-income people with barriers to employment, such as providing stabilizing income, o
ff 
ering a recent employment reference, and establishing eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), to name a few. Perhaps most importantly, the TJ employment should be a developmental, educa
onal experience in which par
cipants learn, apply and prac
ce basic work-readiness skills to meet the demands and expecta
ons of the workplace. Ensuring that the transi
onal work experience is developmental should be a top priority of TJ programs. The transi
onal work experience should be designed from the outset to serve a developmental func
on beyond ordinary subsidized employment. Many programs adopt a theory of change to help inform the process by which this developmental progress takes place. Regardless of the speci
c nature of the transi
onal work such as program structure or industry sector, the goal for people comple
ng TJ programs is to emerge with improved employability and strengthened job skills in addi
on to a few months of earned income and an employment reference. Developmental objec
ves include:developing work-readiness “so
 skills” that are learned, modeled, reinforced and prac
ced in the transi
onal work experience, such as improved punctuality, coopera
on with coworkers and supervisors, and personal presenta
on;training for “hard skills” that can be job-speci
c or transferrable to other entry-level posi
ons; andhelping par
cipants who have been disconnected from the workforce to come to view themselves as workers, and have improved self-esteem and con
dence in their value to employers. The culmina
on of these impacts ideally results in individuals who are be
er equipped to get, keep and advance in family-sustaining jobs. TJ subsidized employment takes place in the context of the broader TJ strategy —resul
ng an a model that is more than the sum of its partsWhile subsidized employment helps de
ne the TJ model, it is important to remember that this work experience is embedded within a set of work-readiness training and suppor
ve service o
ff 
erings. Without a doubt, some of the value that transi
onal employment lends to the TJ model is that paid employment acts as an
incen
t
ve
 for vulnerable and low-income individuals to engage and stay engaged in training, educa
on, and job search ac
vi
es. By helping to address the chaos and uncertainty that accompanies poverty and unemployment, TJ’s wage-paid work and suppor
ve services o
ff 
er the
stability
to remain in the program and receive coaching and training to build employability skills.
 
How can TJ program providers ensure that transi
t
onal employment is a developmental experience?
While a substan
al amount of rigorous research has been performed on the overall e
 cacy of the TJ strategy, there is li
le research evidence indica
ng which speci
c prac
ces and elements within the transi
onal employment experience itself facilitate learning and development among par
cipants. The Department of Labor’s Enhanced Transi
onal Jobs Demonstra
on Project is expected to provide some answers to this ques
on by studying the impacts of several innova
ons and enhancements to the basic TJ model, including enhancements to the transi
onal employment component. However, much can be learned from the experiences and observa
ons of the professionals delivering and studying the TJ strategy in the
eld. In order to iden
fy the programming recommenda
ons below, the NTJN looked to mul
ple experts in the
eld, including both researchers and highly e
ff 
ec
ve prac

oners.
3
Transi
t
onal Jobs Program Structures: Impacts on Par
t
cipant Development
TJ programs provide transi
onal work experience in a variety of ways. These di
ff 
erent structures can a
ff 
ect the ways in which programs ensure developmental, experien
al learning takes place.In programs using
sca
ered employment sites
—in which par
cipants work in for-pro
t, non-pro
t or government sites with 1-2 workers per site—providers need to pay special a
en
on to selec
ng employer partners that contribute to the developmental experience through suppor
ve on-site supervision, training, peer mentoring and other guidance for gaining and prac
cing work skills. These programs may also
nd special value in establishing job clubs or other opportuni
es for peer support, since TJ par
cipants are o
en not working together at the worksite. Bene
ts of sca
ered-site placements include a work experience that most closely resembles a compe

ve labor-market job, and the ability to customize placements according to par
cipant ap
tudes and interests.In programs using
work crews
, crews of 5-7 people work on a project o
en within maintenance, janitorial, parks, and community renewal projects. This structure provides lots of opportuni
es for peer support among par
cipants, as they are dispatched together to job sites. This structure also allows for frontline supervisors to be trained and take an ac
ve role in providing feedback and coaching related to work-readiness development, and for training and educa
onal courses to be more contextualized to the work experience (see below). Unlike sca
ered-site placements however, the type of work experience cannot typically be tailored to an individual par
cipants’ interests.In programs o
ff 
ering
in-house placements
, par
cipants work for the TJ agency, o
en in the product or service revenue genera
ng arm of the organiza
on. As with work-crew structures, in-house placements o
ff 
er opportuni
es for high-levels of peer support and construc
ve supervision. In-house placements also allow for providing work experience in a variety of posi
ons and du
es within the enterprise or workplace, such as cashiering, shipping/receiving, customer service, e-commerce, data entry, etc. Addi
onally, this structure o
ff 
ers unique opportuni
es for highly contextualized instruc
on in educa
on and training classes—instructors can easily adapt materials, ac
vi
es and examples from the worksite for classroom use. This contextualized instruc
on and curriculum development is a growing evidence-based prac
ce in the adult educa
on
eld and may also provide enhanced bene
ts related to work-readiness and employability.It is also important to consider the speci
c developmental needs and goals of a program’s target popula
on—for example, formerly incarcerated par
cipants may have di
ff 
erent needs than people experiencing homelessness.
2
 
3
E
lements That Need to be in Place to Make TJ a Developmental Experience
Researchers and providers alike see value in the formal and informal support o
ff 
ered by TJ par
cipants to one another, as well as suppor
ve rela
onships with program sta
ff 
 and other social support systems. Working in an environment with others who share common circumstances may func
on as an informal peer-support group in which members provide understanding, mo
va
on and posi
ve reinforcement to one another. This phenomenon is observed in work-crew and on-site TJ structures, and may also be facilitated in sca
ered-site programs by seeking out worksites at which two or more par
cipants can be placed at a
me. Moreover, meaningful rela
onships with program sta
ff 
 have also been iden
ed as a cri
cal factor in par
cipant success. While this sort of on-the-job support can happen informally and organically, there are mul
ple ways in which TJ ptuni
es rograms can structure services to build social support among their par
cipants, such as:
Job Clubs and other types of structured support groups
Some TJ programs set aside a
me, usually before the beginning for the workday, during which par
cipants gather to discuss their experiences, address issues, and o
ff 
er advice and support to one another. These mee
ngs may take on a
ributes of a typical group therapy session, or those of a Na
ve American “peace circle” which employs a “talking piece” that designates ones turn to talk. Job clubs, organized groups of job seekers who work together under a leader to learn and prac
ce job skills, are another model of peer group support that has been evaluated extensively with older jobseekers,
1
 as well as welfare-to-work par
cipants.
2
 When compared with regular job-seekers, members of job clubs were more likely to be employed, had higher earnings,
3
 experienced greater self-e
 cacy,
4
 and were less likely to be depressed.
5
 The peer support component was reported as a par
cularly important part of job-seekers’ success.
6
Peer mentoring and program alumni visits
Assigning or designa
ng more experienced par
cipants or coworkers to mentor incoming par
cipants appears to be a successful strategy. Former TJ par
cipants who have been hired on as permanent sta
ff 
 are good candidates
Program example, building peer support: CARA/Cleanslate
The CARA/Cleanslate program in Chicago o
ff 
ers employment services, including Transi
onal Jobs, to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. CARA’s emphasis on personal transforma
on is rooted in a strong sense of community support, reinforced through daily “morning mo
va
ons’ that are highly par
cipatory, requiring all par
cipants to share stories, experiences, feelings and even songs in front of the group. The group responds with suppor
ve, enthusias
c, call-and-response style encouragement. This experience is meant to strengthen the community bonds among par
cipants, as well as provide a safe, suppor
ve venue in which par
cipants can build con
dence and face fears related to public speaking and personal presenta
on. CARA’s theory of change is based on a set of
ve Transforma
ve Principles:
1. Don’t relax:
 Stay alert and always be aware of opportuni
es and risks.
2. Look with new eyes:
See yourself, others and situa
ons in a
 rming and profound ways.
3. Think outside the box:
 Use your crea
vity to overcome the fears, limita
ons and obstacles that con
ne you and prevent your success.4. K
now your deepest self:
Understand your unique gi
s, honor them, and share them with the community around you.
5. Change your behavior:
 Recognize and change the habits, ac
ons and perspec
ves that sent you down the wrong path.De
ning features of CARA’s model, in addi
on to the morning mo
va
ons, include the provision to each par
cipant of a set of professional clothing which must always be worn to the o
 ce, and a well-appointed professional o
 ce environment. This serves to reinforce to par
cipants that they are worthy and deserving of a be
er life.
 
Key #1 Opportuni
t
es for Social and Peer Support
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