Focus Groups

Focus Group Interview Guide for Participants
in Green Jobs-Health Care Training Programs

1. Introduction

Thank you very much for taking time to join us here today. We are hosting this focus group session to learn the views of participants like you about the [insert program name] program here in [name city]. We will be asking all of you questions that will help us learn more about how you found out about the program, what services you asked for and received, and what difference you think it has made in your life.

My name is __________, and I'm a researcher at Abt Associates/Mathematica Policy Research. I will be leading the session today and my associate ______ will take notes during the discussion and may ask some questions too. Your participation and the opinions, ideas, and feelings that each of you share today is important and appreciated. Using a focus group provides us with a way to learn what people think through group discussion, to find out what opinions and ideas you have in common, and where some of you may have different opinions.

We will take what we learn today and combine it with other data and information we have been collecting to write a report to the U.S. Department of Labor. None of you will ever be quoted by name in that report, and nothing you say here will be repeated to your case managers, your instructors, or other program staff. We would like to read to you the public burden statement required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Our OMB control number for this information collection is _______ and permission to collect this data expires on ________. We could not legally conduct this discussion without the OMB Control Number. Responding to this questionnaire is voluntary. This interview will take about 90 minutes. As we’ve told you before, all individual responses will be kept private to the maximum extent allowed by the law.

In a group interview like this it is very important that you express yourself openly. There are no right or wrong answers. We are interested in all your ideas and comments, both positive and negative, and you should feel free to respectfully disagree with one another when that is how you feel. We hope you all will participate, but you can also choose not to respond to any of the questions we ask you today. Occasionally, I may ask how many of you agree with a statement one or two of you make.

2. Personal Introductions

Let's go around the table and have each of you introduce yourself with your first name only.

3. Outreach and Recruitment

Think back to before you enrolled in the program. How did you first hear about the program?

Probe: Advertising?

Word of mouth?

Referral by another agency?

Why did you decide to participate in the program?

Probe: Looking for a new skill set?

Get a job?

Get a better paying job?

Have you participated in other training programs similar to this program in the past?

Once you heard about the program, how long was it before you actually enrolled?

4. Participation Experiences and Services Received

What types of activities and classes have you participated in as a part of this training program? Probe in the following areas (if not mentioned by participants):

Probe: What training classes and basic skills classes did they participate in?

What parts of the training did you think were most useful? Why?

What parts of the training were not useful? Why?

Have you been able to learn about jobs that can use the skills you are learning?

What kinds of supports/additional services have you used while enrolled in the training? (i.e.academic/personal counseling, tutoring, financial support, job search assistance, etc.)

Probe: Did you find these supports helpful? Why or why not?

What happened when you encountered challenges?

About how many weeks or months did you participate in the training program?

Did you complete the program? If not, why not?

5. Participant Outcomes

What did you find valuable and helpful about the program? What skills do you think you have gained and/or developed through the program? Would you recommend this training program to others? Why or why not?

If there were any elements or services of the program you found disappointing or not at all helpful what were they? How would you recommend changing them to make the program better?

For those who completed training, what is your employment status now?

Probe: Did you find a job in the field you were trained for? What is position and pay?

Did you find a job in a different occupational field? What is position and pay?

For those still in training, what are your plans after you finish the program?

Probe: Find job in field trained for?

Pursue more training?

Seek additional services?