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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Final Evaluation Report of Year Up's Professional Training Corps in Philadelphia (Maynard et al., 2018)

  • Findings

    See findings section of this profile.

    Evidence Rating

    Not Rated

Review Guidelines

Implementation Guidelines

Absence of conflict of interest. 

Citation

Maynard, R., Baelen, R., Shivji, A., & Souvanna, P. (2018). Final Evaluation Report of Year Up's Professional Training Corps in Philadelphia. Abt Associates.

Highlights

  • The study's objective was to examine the implementation of Philadelphia’s Year Up’s Professional Training Corps program (PTC-P), which aimed to provide training in professional and technical skills in preparation for high demand careers to low-income, unemployed young adults ages 18-24. 
  • The study authors conducted an implementation evaluation using data from a previous interim evaluation study in 2015, administrative data from the Year Up program, and qualitative data from interviews with program participants and staff.  
  • The study found that the program continues to be well received by community partners, participants, and staff. Program areas that have seen improvement include tracking and monitoring participant issues (e.g., academic struggles), hiring staff in internship services and post-program support, and continuing positive relationships with Peirce College.  
  • The evaluation provided insight for strategies to improve the PTC program to achieve financial self-sufficiency.  
  • The embedded impact study was reviewed by CLEAR in August 2022.   

Intervention Examined

Professional Training Corps Program in Philadelphia (PTC-P)

Features of the Intervention

  • Type of organization: Community college 
  • Location/setting: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  
  • Population served and scale: young adults, unemployed (scale unknown) 
  • Industry focus: Professional, scientific, and technical services 
  • Intervention activities: Career pathways, work-based learning,  
  • Organizational partnerships: Employers 
  • Cost: Average cost per participant was $31,097 at the time of writing.  
  • Fidelity: Not included. 

The Professional Training Corps Program in Philadelphia (PTC-P) is one of 15 currently operating Professional Training Corps (PTC) programs in the U.S. In 2013, the PTC program received funding from the Social Innovation Fund (SIF), a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which allowed for the launch and evaluation of the PTC-P program. The PTC-P program provides professional training and work experience to low-income young adults with a high school degree (or equivalent) who are out of work and out of school but demonstrate ability or talent to succeed in a career. The PTC-P program partnered with a local private college to provide training in professional skills followed by an internship experience to apply learned skills. The program is one year in length: six months for training and six months working at an internship to apply learned skills.  

Features of the Study

The study site was Peirce College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. PTC-P served 112 participants during the period of evaluation. The evaluation relied on data from a previous interim implementation study in addition to administrative data records, data from the National Student Clearinghouse, on-site observations, and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with program staff and participants. Interviews were transcribed to uncover themes. 

Study Sites

Peirce College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

Findings

Intervention activities/services  

  • The study found that implementing an improved system for tracking and monitoring participant issues (e.g., academic struggles) has helped in achieving retention and success. 
  • The study found that continued positive working relationships between the PTC-P program staff and Peirce college contributed to overall program satisfaction and continues to be a strength in the program.  
  • The study found that the addition of a Student Services Team, which consisted of two licensed social workers, improved the process for identifying issues during the first 6 months of the program.  

Implementation challenges and solutions 

  • Continued challenges to implementation include appropriate staffing, securing fully funded internship seats, and recruitment and retention of participants through both phases of the program. The PTC-P program has fallen short of recruitment targets by an average of 7 percent.  
  • Starting in 2016 and lasting through 2018, Year Up assigned two staff to work with PTC-P to address implementation challenges. Solutions have ranged from providing initial roadmaps of site improvement initiatives to training staff and creating monitoring support plans for participants. 

Cost/ROI 

  • Average cost per participant was $31,097 at the time of writing.  

Considerations for Interpreting the Findings

The authors did not include details on the sample used for the implementation study (e.g., number of interviewees, demographic information) or the qualitative analysis process.  

Reviewed by CLEAR

May 2023

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