Site Selection Site Visits

Site Selection Site Visit Interview Guide

Site Selection Visit Interview Guide

Introduction: Thank you for agreeing to speak with us today. My name is <name> and this is <name>, and we are researchers from Abt Associates. We are here today because the U.S. Department of Labor contracted with us to visit sites for possible selection for the evaluation of the H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants. In each site, we’ll be speaking with key stakeholders in each site, including individuals from the agency administering the grant, training providers, the workforce investment system, employers and other support agencies. Their individual responses will be aggregated and are solely for the purpose of selecting sites. We will be spending about 8 hours here today and will speak with about 5 people per site. Your participation is voluntary, but we hope that you will respond to this call, as your participation will help the U.S. Department of Labor better understand how training and education programs are working to help individuals improve their skills, and find employment. Your individual responses to the survey will be kept private and no personal information will be shared with the U.S. Department of Labor, the Employment and Training Administration, or any other government agency unless required by law. Please note that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB approval number for conducting these interviews is 1205-0507.

Target Population

• Target population for grant program*

• Eligibility requirements for program*

Program Services

Training-related

• Training program(s) funded by DOL grant. For each training program, explain:*

• Industry and occupational area

• Approach: classroom training, OJT, or both

• Length of program and schedule (total hours, hours per day and week)

• Number of courses funded by grant and their occupational area

• Credential/degree resulting from program

• Credits resulting from program

• For OJT, please explain:*

• How are placements made?

• What is the length and hours of the program?

• What is the level of the wage subsidy?

• What is the nature of the training – is it “hands-on” or classroom based or both?

• What positions are individuals eligible for after they complete the training?

• Does the approach explicitly “link” training programs that offer career progression within a given field? Does the program assist individuals in moving from one step on a career ladder to the next? Describe.*

• Does the program have specific strategies to help low-skilled individuals enter training (contextualized instruction, instructional accommodations, basic skills instruction, “bridge” programs)? Describe content, duration, schedule, and connection to training programs.*

• Does the program have multiple points of entry and exit that allow individuals to continue education or return to workforce? Describe connections between programs.*

Non-training related

• Does the program offer as part of the grant any of the following supportive services? Document content, length, and intensity of the service.*

• Needs-related payments

• Financial assistance (assistance applying for Pell, assistance beyond Pell)

• Peer support (such as learning communities)

• Job search assistance (direct placement, counseling, etc.)

• Soft or “life” skills components

• Child care and transportation

• Career/vocational counseling

• Academic counseling

• Case management

• Others?

• Who provides these services? Describe the services any partners provide.*

• Where does each of the program components (training and non-training) take place (e.g., classrooms, labs, program offices)?

• Are there any other services funded by this grant that you have not described (e.g. capacity building, curriculum development)? Please explain.

Staffing

• Staffing/organizational structure (e.g., program departments, how the program is situated/managed within the larger organization or institution, who has authority over the program).

• How many FTEs does the program have? Describe their primary responsibilities.*

• Where are staff members located (if the program has multiple sites)?

• Do other staff at your organization (outside of your program) contribute to the program (e.g., a counselor who provides services to all students at a college, not just those in the program)? If so, what services do they provide?

Recruitment

• How do students learn about the program?*

• Advertising

• Community outreach

• Connections with other public programs (TANF, SNAP, WIA)

• Word of mouth

• Is the program currently oversubscribed? If so, how long is the list (what is the proportion of applicants admitted vs. placed on the waiting list)?

• Is the program currently undersubscribed? Do you think you will have trouble meeting your enrollment goals?

• Do you think you are reaching the entire eligible population? If not, what methods of recruitment do you think could be used to reach more of this population?

Enrollment Procedures

• What are the steps of the application process (e.g., application form, interview, assessment)? * (Note to interview: goal is to produce a flow chart of the enrollment process)

• When does each of these components take place (in what order)?

• Who conducts each of these components?

• Who reviews the applications and other information and makes admissions decisions?

• Details on any orientations held

• Length and topics covered of any enrollment meetings

• Length and topics of any assessment

• Can you provide us with a copy of the program application and any forms used?*

• What MIS system is used to collect enrollment information?

• Obtain a list of data items (or forms) collected at enrollment.*

Program entry and multiple locations

• Is there are single point of entry or can individuals enroll in multiple locations? If yes, describe the different locations for the program.

• Do all locations offer the same program? Specify what programs are offered at each location.

• Do all locations use the same training providers? If not, which locations use the same training providers?

• Do all locations use the same MIS/collect the same information at intake?

• Are the locations linked electronically? For example, can an intake counselor tell if an applicant is already enrolled at another location?

Program size and enrollment period

• When did you start serving individuals under this grant program?

• When will individuals who have enrolled stop receiving services under the grant program?

• How many individuals have you enrolled thus far?

• How many individuals did you project to enroll in training in your grant application?

• Do you expect to meet this target? If not, why not? Could the target be met with a longer enrollment period?

• Is enrollment open entry? That is, do you enroll individuals only at the beginning of semesters/school year, on a monthly basis, or other intervals? Please explain.

Completion and Placement

• How many individuals have completed the training to date?

• What is the total number of individuals you are expecting will complete the training throughout this grant program?

• Is training completion proceeding on target? Are certifications or degrees proceeding on target? Are you behind on your completion and certification targets?

• How many individuals have been placed in permanent jobs after completion to date? Are these jobs in the same industry as the training? (Please do not include any incumbent workers in these numbers).

• Are you on target in terms of your job placements? If not, why not?

• Have any employers committed to hiring graduates?

• Do you anticipate any problems with placement in future? If yes, please explain.

Counterfactual conditions

• If an individual cannot get into your DOL-funded grant program, do you offer similar training or other training in which they could enroll? Please describe.*

• If an individual cannot enroll in your DOL-funded grant program, are there other similar programs in the community in which they could enroll (including one-stop career centers, community colleges, or community-based organizations)? Please describe.*

• Can you identify the 3-4 training providers in your community that are most similar to your program?

*Items for line staff – counselors, teachers.