Evaluation of Orr's Discretionary Grant Support for Enhanced Skills Training and Multiple Wage Earners. Final Report

An evaluation of the Multiple Wage Earner (MWE) discretionary grant program and Enhanced Skills Training (EST) program developed by the Department of Health and Human Services is reported. The EST program was intended to reach hard-to-employ refugees through improvement of the quality of jobs available to refugees experiencing difficulties becoming self-sufficient, and the MWE program was designed to encourage all potential wage earners within a household to enter the labor market. The study's major conclusions include the following: (1) many of the discretionary projects failed to recruit and/or enroll appropriate clients, as a result of a variety of factors; (2) contrary to requirements, the primary EST service strategy was direct placement rather than placement after training, and the primary MWE strategy was short-term classroom skills training with subsequent entry-level job placement, instead of enriched support services and immediate job placement; (3) in most cases, EST projects did not succeed in placing participants in well paid jobs; and (4) MWE programs were successful in placing underserved individuals in entry-level jobs. Project profiles are appended. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)