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·	From Theory To Practice

• Introduction
• Project description
• Evaluation approach
• Key findings
• Summary of findings

Introduction

This brief summarizes the findings from an evaluation study of NB Job Corps, a Strategic Initiative funded by the governments of Canada and New Brunswick. The evaluation was jointly managed by a Federal-Provincial Committee with provincial representation from Human Resources and Development New Brunswick (HRDNB) and the New Brunswick Department of Advanced Education & Employment (DAEL) and federal representation from Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), New Brunswick Region, and Evaluation and Data Development at National Headquarters.

Project description

The Strategic Initiatives Program, announced in the Federal Budget of February 1994, is a five-year federal-provincial cost-shared program to test innovative ideas about social security reform. Pilots considered for funding include those that are intended to improve job opportunities for Canadians and help individuals adjust to the demands of the labour market. The evaluation of these pilots will provide important information on what works and what doesn't work for specific target groups.

NB Job Corps is funded under an agreement between the Minister of Human Resources Development Canada, and the Government of New Brunswick, represented by the Ministers of Human Resources and Development New Brunswick and the New Brunswick Department of Advanced Education and Employment.

NB Job Corps, implemented in May 1994, is a three year project renewable for a fourth and fifth year. NB Job Corps costs, up to $80M, are to be shared equally between federal and provincial governments for the five-year agreement.

The rationale for the program stems from the recognition that older workers face many difficulties in re-entering the workforce, namely their age, lack of mobility and the need for extensive retraining required to meet the needs of the new economy. For these workers, who include long-term social assistance recipients, UI recipients/exhaustees and displaced workers, there exists the danger that a cycle of dependency on public assistance will be created. Many have been displaced, carrying with them transferable skills that would enable them to remain as productive members of society. By working with non-profit, private and public sector hosts, it is hoped that these individuals will benefit in a number of ways from actively contributing to the community. The objectives of NB Job Corps are:

• to provide a positive influence on the economic activities of the province through projects which enhance the environment and support community activities, and whose implementation serves to decrease short- and medium-term demands on social support services, while providing an avenue for incremental work not accomplished by other workers;

• to improve the general physical environment of communities, and to assist in the development of infrastructure projects which would not otherwise be possible in the absence of the program;

• to enhance the quality of life of individuals who have been deemed most in need, but unable to find work or take part in retraining, by providing the opportunity to contribute actively in socially beneficial work. Enhancing quality of life refers to improvements to self-esteem, self-worth, feelings of contributing to society, health status, financial self-determination and general life satisfaction; and

• to stimulate and engender a sense of belonging and contribution to the community, resulting in the potential for longer-term labour force or voluntary activity, community involvement and personal well-being of participants and family members.

NB Job Corps, a form of active programming, works with non-profit, private and public sector hosts to provide work placements to older workers aged 50 to 65 years. Participation is voluntary.

To be eligible for the program older workers must meet eligibility requirements, e.g. a family income ceiling, be eligible to receive social assistance or UI benefits, or be a displaced worker.

NB Job Corps provides one thousand individuals who meet eligibility requirements a work placement with a project host employer for a period of 6 months a year. In return, NB Job Corps participants receive income support in the form of a guaranteed annual income of approximately $12,000. Participants receive $46 for each day they are at work during the six months they are active with a host organization. For the remaining six months, during which participants are not active with a host employer, they receive a prorated amount that reflects the total income provided during the active period.

The initiative will test the effectiveness of using alternative programming to move older workers from passive to active income support.

Evaluation approach

The first work placements started the week of May 16, 1994. The majority of placements occur during the spring of each year. The process evaluation provides a wide range of information, focusing on the administration, management and operations of NB Job Corps.

Information sources included: a review of baseline and administrative data; key informant interviews (26); telephone interviews of participants (401) and project hosts (200); and 11 case studies.

A summative evaluation study will be underway presently. Summative evaluations are undertaken to measure incremental impacts, to arrive at conclusions on benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness and to assess policy implications. It is anticipated that an interim report will be ready by the fall of 1996.

Key findings

Partnership arrangement

Overall responsibility for NB Job Corps rests with the Management Committee which consists of senior officials from HRDC, DAEL and HRDNB. Operational responsibility rests with the three partner agencies, each of which has designated a staff person as the key contact for NB Job Corps.

Overall, NB Job Corps is working well, however, there is some overlap in relation to project hosts. The major strength of NB Job Corps, from a structural perspective, is that the program is simple, clear and direct.

Program delivery

As of September 1995, 337 work projects had been approved; and the project had a total of 998 participants placed with a host organization in a work project; a total of 1,119 participants had entered NB Job Corps and 121 (11%) had exited.

The evaluation found that the project is meeting the needs of both participants and employers. The confirmation of the ""goodness of fit"" between participants and placements is documented in the program exit rate of 11%. A further confirmation of the fit is that 85% of participants indicated that they have had only one employer over the course of their involvement with the program.

Based on information gathered from project hosts, NB Job Corps is making significant contributions to improving both the environment and the quality of life of participants. Overall, project hosts are satisfied with the performance of the participants and the end results achieved through the projects. Project hosts suggested a number of areas that could be improved, including: the timing of the projects and flexibility of the active period; additional funding for support material and supervision; and the need for more participants for projects.

Participants' assessment of NB Job Corps highlighted the following:

• a high level of satisfaction with the program's operations and with the opportunities provided;
• while basic needs were being met through the income provided, there is a need for better wages and less physically demanding work;
• projects completed through NB Job Corps made a contribution to improvements in the overall quality of life of participants and the overall quality of the environment; and
• the camaraderie and challenges offered in the work placements were a positive outcome.

Input from participants also provided the basis for the following observations:

• NB Job Corps participants fit the specified target group profile of people between the ages of 50 and 65 years who have been on some form of income subsidy or who have been displaced from the work place, especially in traditional industries;

• the types of work placements offered appear to be consistent with the skill levels of participants and with the types of industries and occupations in which participants had been employed in the past; and

• participants have found NB Job Corps staff to be both supportive and helpful.

Summary of findings

NB Job Corps is operating in an efficient and effective manner.

The project is meeting the needs of both participants and employers. The potential demand for participants and work projects exceeds the available resources.

The placements provided offer, in many instances, a meaningful work experience.

The work accomplished is contributing to improvements in the overall quality of the environment and to the improvements in the overall quality of life for participants.