Guided Customer Choice was designed to broadly represent the approach that most local areas were implementing on their own under WIA. Participants in Guided Customer Choice had to complete six mandatory counseling activities to help them select a training program and then had to assess whether they had enough resources to complete the training. Counselors were directed to help customers make an informed decision about training. However, counselors did not direct participants toward particular occupations, and participants could independently select their training program. Participants received an individual training account (ITA) in the amount of $3,000 to $5,000, depending on the program site. Program participants were dislocated workers and adults, 18 years 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 Guided Customer Choice to the effectiveness of Maximum Customer Choice indicates the effect of being referred to a set of services that includes those unique to Guided Customer Choice; the comparison indicates how much better the offer of Guided Customer Choice meets participants’ needs than the offer of Maximum Customer Choice. Participants in Guided Customer Choice had mandatory counseling. In contrast, participants in Maximum Customer Choice could choose whether to receive counseling. The study that compared Guided Customer Choice with Maximum Customer Choice also evaluated Structured Customer Choice.
Low
