JOBSTART

JOBSTART was found to have potentially positive effects on completing school.

JOBSTART is an alternative education and training program designed to improve the economic prospects of young, disadvantaged high school dropouts by increasing educational attainment and developing occupational skills. The program has four main components: (1) basic academic skills instruction with a focus on GED (General Educational Development) preparation, (2) occupational skills training, (3) training-related support services (such as transportation assistance and childcare), and (4) job placement assistance. Participants receive at least 200 hours of basic education and 500 hours of occupational training.

One study of JOBSTART met What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards. This randomized controlled trial included more than 2,300 youth and was conducted in 13 sites in nine states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Based on this one study, the WWC considers the extent of evidence for JOBSTART to be small for completing school (see the WWC Extent of Evidence Categorization). The one JOBSTART study that met WWC evidence standards did not examine the effectiveness of JOBSTART in the domains of staying or progressing in school.