Structured Customer Choice participants received intensive, mandatory weekly counseling from program staff, in which the counselors directed participants to training programs with high returns on investment (that is, programs anticipated to lead to high earnings gains over participants’ lifetimes relative to the training cost). Participants selected the training program in which they wished to participate, but counselors could deny participants’ selections. Participants also received an ITA of up to $8,000 to cover the cost of training. Most Structured Customer Choice participants completed counseling and training program selection in six sessions. Then, participants engaged in their selected training program for an average of 19 weeks. Program participants were dislocated workers and adults, age 18 or older, who were eligible to receive training funded by WIA. The program operated in eight sites: Atlanta, GA; Bridgeport, CT; Charlotte, NC; Jacksonville, FL; Maricopa County, AZ; North Cook County, IL; northeast GA; and Phoenix, AZ.
Comparing the effectiveness of Structured Customer Choice to Guided Customer Choice indicates the effect of the services that are unique to Structured Customer Choice or how much better Structured Customer Choice meets participants’ needs than Guided Customer Choice. Participants in Structured Customer Choice were required to participate in intensive counseling, had directed training options, and had higher ITA amounts. In contrast, participants in Guided Customer Choice had less intensive counseling (that is, counselors did not direct participants toward particular occupations, and participants had fewer mandatory counseling activities), could independently select their training program, and had relatively lower ITA amounts of $3,000 to $5,000 (fixed by program site). The study that evaluated Structured Customer Choice versus Guided Customer Choice also evaluated Maximum Customer Choice.
Low
