Community-Based Job Training Grant Recipients Survey

Evaluation of the Community Based Job Training Grants (CBJTG)

Employer / Partnering Organization Interview

Introduction

I am (we are) researchers from the Urban Institute, a private, nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC, which conducts policy-related research on a variety of social and economic issues. [Name of contact person] of [CBJTG grantee organization or other organization providing contact information] suggested that I contact you to discuss your involvement in and views about the Community-Based grant project being conducted by [CBJTG grantee organization]. The Urban Institute has a contract with the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor to conduct an assessment of the Community-Based Job Training Grants. We recently visited with administrators and staff at [CBJTG grantee organization] and learned quite a bit about the initiative, but we wanted to gather additional perspectives from partnering organizations, employers, and others in the community knowledgeable about the project.

Our aim is to learn from your experiences, not to audit or judge the work done with the Community-Based grant. Nothing we publish in this evaluation will identify you along with the statements you make to us.

Confidentiality Statement: Before beginning the interview, I (we) want to thank you for agreeing to participate in the study. I (we) know that you are busy, and we will try to be as focused as possible. We have many questions and are going to talk with many different people, so please do not feel as though we expect you to be able to answer every question. We also understand that your participation in this discussion is voluntary, and you may choose not to answer certain questions.

In addition, before we start, I want to let you know that though we take notes at these interviews, information is never repeated with the name of the respondent. When we write our reports and discuss our findings, we will compile the information from all interviews and present it so that no one person can be identified. We also ask that you refrain from sharing anything we discuss today with others to help us ensure your confidentiality.

Do you have any questions before we begin?

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is XXXXXXX and expires on XXXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average XXXX, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, Room N-5641 Frances Perkins Building, Attention: Bogdan Tereshchenko, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210.

1. Please provide background on your organization:

• Year established

• Type of organization

• Number of employees

• Other relevant features about the organization

• [Employer] Type of firm and products/services provided

2. How and why did your organization/company come to be involved in/partner on the Community-Based project? Was your organization/company recruited to participate in the Community-Based project? If so, how?

2. Had there been a long-standing relationship with the Community-Based grantee or did the relationship develop as a direct result of your organization’s involvement in Community-Based?

2. Please briefly describe your organization’s/company’s role/involvement in the Community-Based project?

• Do you have a formal agreement with the Community-Based grantee defining your role in the project (note: if so, could you please provide a copy of the agreement)?

• What level of time/resources did your organization/company invest in this project?

• Was your organization/company most involved in the planning or the operational stage of the project, or both?

2. What resources and/or services does your organization/company provide to the Community-Based project? Possibilities include:

• Direct funding for training

• Referrals to your training programs

• Curriculum development

• Operation of training activities

• Use of facilities

• Use of staff as trainers

• Job shadowing

• Internships

• Mentorships

• Referral to or assistance with developing apprenticeships

• Job placement services

• Access to support services

• Connections to employers or industry associations

• Access to financial aid (e.g., Pell grants)

• Advisory Committee/Steering Committee

[For Employers]

Financial resources for training

• Hiring preference for program graduates

• Paid release time for workers in training

[For Partners in the Workforce System]

• Use of Individual Training Accounts (ITA)

2. If your organization provides training under the initiative…please discuss the following –

a. Number and types of workers enrolled in the Community-Based training program at your organization

b. [For employers] Is this training for incumbent workers? (i.e., workers already employed at the firm)

c. Number of workers successfully completing the Community-Based training program at your organization

d. Occupation(s) for which training is provided under Community-Based

e. Wage rates of those trained – before and after training; has training resulted in a rise in wages and enabled existing workers to move to better jobs?

f. Provide a brief overview of the training provided –

• Location

• Number of hours of training per week; number of weeks/months of training

• Do trainees receive degrees/certifications?

• Overview of the coursework (if available, request a syllabus or course summary)

• How was the curriculum developed? Did employers provide input into the structure of the training program/curriculum? If so, please describe the employers’ role.

7. [For employers] If the Community-Based project provides training for new workers that have been subsequently hired by the firm, please discuss the following:

a. Number and types of new workers hired that went through the Community-Based training program

b. Occupation(s) into which Community-Based trainees were hired

c. Wage rates of those hired that completed the Community-Based training program

d. Have new workers stayed with the firm? (if available, what is the 6 month retention rate)? If not, why not?

8. [For employers] Please describe any impacts that you think the Community-Based program has had on –

a. Workers that completed the training program (e.g., enhanced wages, increased job security, job responsibilities)

b. Your company – particularly, relating to access to an expanded pool of well-qualified, skilled workers

c. Other companies in your industry sector

9. [For employers] Overall, how would you rate your firm’s level of satisfaction with the program?

10. [For non-employer partner organizations] What do you think are the most important impacts of the Community-Based project within your community? Please discuss specific effects/impacts in the following areas:

a. What do you feel have been the effects of the project on the individuals who completed the training program (e.g., enhanced wages, increased job security, upgrading of responsibilities)?

b. Do you think that the Community-Based project helps to address shortages of well-qualified, skilled workers within the specific occupations within which training was provided? If so, how?

11. Did your organization/company provide input into the structure of the training program/curriculum? Did your organization/company have input on project design, types of workers needed and/or types of training provided? If yes, please describe your organization/company’s role and your assessment of the process and the curriculum.

12. Has your organization/company been involved in other programs similar to the Community-Based program in the past? If so, what were the differences between this program and other past programs?

13. Has involvement in the Community-Based project enabled your organization/company to improve or develop new relationships with other local organizations? If so, with which organizations and what is the nature of the partnership?

14. Have there been challenges to establishing or maintaining the partnerships under the Community-Based initiative? If so, please discuss the challenges and how they either were overcome or continue to be a problem.

15. a. Do you think that the Community-Based project has helped to make the local workforce investment system more responsive to employers’ workforce needs? If so, how?

b. Do you think that the Community-Based project has helped to better link community organizations and employers to the local workforce investment system? If so, how?

c. Do you think the Community-Based grant has led to improved coordination and collaboration among strategic partners in the workforce development, education, and economic development sectors? If so, how?

d. Do you think the Community-Based project has created or improved pathways/pipelines into the careers in the target industry?

16. Overall, do you feel that your Community-Based project has met its original expectations? If not, how and why has it fallen short?

17. Do you have any suggestions on how the program might be improved in the future? For example, does your organization have any suggestions on how the training program or partnerships under the Community-Based project might be enhanced?

18. To what extent do you think the Community-Based project could and should be replicated in other localities?

19. Will your relationship with the Community-Based project grantee continue after the end of the grant period? If so, how?

a. During this Community-Based project do you feel steps have been taken to secure funding and other resources to continue the Community-Based project once the grant funding is exhausted?

b. Will the training that was provided under the Community-Based project continue after grant funding is exhausted? If so, how? Is your organization providing funding or otherwise involved in sustaining the training project?

c. Do you feel that steps have been taken to ensure that coalitions/partnerships are maintained after Community-Based funding is exhausted?

d. Do you expect your partnership to continue? If so, to what extent and how?

20. Do you have any other thoughts or views about the Community-Based project we have not discussed?

Thank you for your time.