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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

RCT of a promising vocational/employment program for high-risk juvenile offenders (Schaeffer et al., 2014)

Review Guidelines

Causal Evidence Guidelines

Absence of conflict of interest.

Citation

Schaeffer, C. M., Henggeler, S. W., Ford, J. D., Mann, M., Chang, R., & Chapman, J. E. (2014). RCT of a promising vocational/employment program for high-risk juvenile offenders. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 46(2), 134-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2013.06.012

Highlights

  • The study’s objective was to examine the impact of Community Restitution Apprenticeship-Focused Training (CRAFT) on employment and education outcomes. 
  • The study was a randomized controlled trial that assigned youth to the CRAFT treatment group or the control group. Using self-report measures and interviews, the authors conducted statistical models to compare the outcomes of treatment and control group participants. 
  • The study found that CRAFT participants had significantly higher employment rates and were more likely to work in the construction trade than control participants.  
  • This study receives a high evidence rating. This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to CRAFT, and not to other factors. 

Intervention Examined

Community Restitution Apprenticeship-Focused Training (CRAFT)

Features of the Intervention

CRAFT was created in 1994 to address skill deficits and barriers to employment that face youth populations, specifically justice-involved youth between the ages of 15 to 18. CRAFT was a 6-month vocational training program that provided employment services within the construction field (i.e., bricklaying, landscaping, etc.). The program was delivered by a full-time experienced instructor, providing at least 100 hours of instruction in core skill areas such as plumbing, electrical services, drywall installation, and woodworking. The program was apprenticeship-based in a simulated working environment, linking academic skill development alongside employability skills, job placement assistance, and job retention and follow-up services.  

Features of the Study

The study used a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of CRAFT on employment and education outcomes. The CRAFT treatment program was administered by two universities in the Hartford, Connecticut area. To be eligible for the study, youth were required to: (1) be involved in the juvenile justice system for a criminal offense; (2) be referred from the justice system to treatment programs to prevent out-of-home placement; (3) have an identified problem or risk with substance abuse; and (4) have an interest in vocational training in the construction trades. Of the 97 eligible youth, the authors assigned 50 youth to the CRAFT treatment group and 47 to the control group. The treatment group received CRAFT and the control group received access to vocational and education services through public schools and community organizations (education as usual). The study sample was primarily male (83%) with an average age of 15 years. Slightly more than half of the participants were Hispanic White (52%), with smaller percentages of non-Hispanic Black (28%) and non-Hispanic White (17%). The majority of the sample were in school (74%). Data sources included self-report measures and monthly phone call interviews with participants. The authors used statistical models to compare the employment and education outcomes of treatment and control group participants.  

Findings

Employment 

  • The study found that CRAFT participants were significantly more likely to be employed during the follow-up period than control group participants (76% vs. 50%). 
  • The study also found that CRAFT participants were significantly more likely to be employed in construction jobs than control group participants (46% vs. 19%). 
  • However, the study did not find any statistically significant effects of participation in CRAFT on steady employment. 

Education and skill gains 

  • The study did not find any significant differences between the groups in high school graduation rates. 

Considerations for Interpreting the Findings

The study authors noted that when interpreting the findings of the study, it is important to consider the implementation and follow-up of CRAFT occurred amidst a major economic recession, notably affecting the construction industry and as a result, likely dampening the employment opportunities available for participants. The authors also added that the relatively small sample size likely contributed to a low statistical effect for several of the analyses. 

Causal Evidence Rating

The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is high because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to CRAFT, and not to other factors. 

Reviewed by CLEAR

June 2024

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