"J ob training works. So why not do more?" This is the provocative question posed by a recent New York Times  article examining the results of a five-year demonstration effort called WorkAdvance, which was tested in Northeast Ohio, New York City, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. WorkAdvance examined how a seamless provision of services, with a focus on specific sectors and post-employment assistance, can better connect disadvantaged job seekers to in-demand jobs and put them on a path toward career advancement, while helping employers find the talent they need for their businesses to prosper. In late June, a summary of the results was released and all indications are that WorkAdvance  significantly increased earnings among low-income individuals.

Designed by  MDRC, a national social policy research firm, in partnership with the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO), WorkAdvance was supported by the White House Social Innovation Fund and local partners, including the Fund for Our Economic Future in Northeast Ohio.

MDRC's rigorous evaluation and cost analysis provides valuable data and information for policymakers and workforce service providers, and a base of evidence for what works to produce cost-effective pathways to long-term employment and career advancement. 

"The WorkAdvance demonstration was about breaking down silos and improving outcomes for job seekers and employers at no additional cost to taxpayers," said Bethia Burke, director of strategy and resource allocation at the Fund for Our Economic Future. "What we learned was that a continuum of sector-focused services works."

Towards Employment, a 40-year-old workforce development organization in Cleveland with a mission to empower individuals to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency through employment, has coordinated WorkAdvance in Northeast Ohio. Towards Employment was the only lead WorkAdvance provider that launched services in two very distinct sectors -- health care and manufacturing -- and coordinated services in two locations -- Cuyahoga County and the Mahoning Valley, in partnership with Compass Family Services in Youngstown.

Nationally, the approach included attention to marketing; screening; career readiness and occupational skills; job development and placement; and post-employment retention and advancement. Some elements were consistently applied across sites, while others were tailored to the local context. 

In Northeast Ohio, collaboration among multiple partners across sectors was key to implementation.  Already, learnings from this demonstration have been adopted by Towards Employment and others around the region.

"Towards Employment has been able to leverage additional funding from the Department of Labor and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to support career pathways programming," noted Towards Employment Executive Director Jill Rizika. "And TalentNEO, a new pilot, has leveraged WorkAdvance relationships and learnings to support skills-based hiring in Northeast Ohio."

The WorkAdvance random control trial may be complete, but the real work is just beginning, said Deborah Vesy, president and CEO of Deaconess Foundation, and the Fund's job preparation initiative leader.

"It is critical that local partn ers take up the lessons from this demonstration" she said. 

In August, MDRC will release a full report describing the findings, and the Fund, jointly with Towards Employment, the Deaconess Foundation and The Raymond John Wean Foundation in Warren, will release Northeast Ohio-specific data and learnings. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months on this follow-on report and opportunities to learn how you can apply WorkAdvance principles in your own work.