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Summary

Structured Customer Choice provided intensive, mandatory counseling and paid up to $8,000 in training costs to improve training participation for dislocated workers and adults eligible for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). This evaluation directly compared Structured Customer Choice with a separate program, Guided Customer Choice, to better understand which of the two programs might be more effective; the distinctive features of Structured Customer Choice were more intensive counseling, a higher individual training account (ITA) amount, and counselors’ ability to deny participants’ training choices.

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.

3021.01-Study of Structured
Populations and employment barriers: At least a high school diploma or equivalent, Unemployed

Implementation at a glance

Primary service
Tuition assistance/financial aid
Program services
Employment coaching, Job readiness, Tuition assistance/financial aid
Review services terms
Setting(s)
Tested in multiple settings
Year evaluation began
2001
Implementing organization(s)Local workforce agencies; multiple public and private training organizations

Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain

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Outcome domain Term Effectiveness rating Effect in 2024 dollars and percentages Effect in standard deviations Sample size
Increase earnings Short-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable $-2,151 per year -0.059 5288
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $292 per year 0.008 5274
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 0% (in percentage points) 0.012 5288
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable -1% (in percentage points) -0.031 2184
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Not supported unfavorable $151 per year 0.044 5293
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $-107 per year -0.031 2186
Increase education and training All measurement periods Little evidence to assess support favorable 4% (in percentage points) 0.080 2186

Effectiveness ratings

  • Well- supported
  • Supported
  • Mixed support
  • Not supported
  • Insufficient evidence
  • Cannot assess support

Studies of this program

Study quality rating Study counts per rating
High High 1
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Program cost

No cost information available.

Cost results

Estimate (in 2024 dollars) Quality of cost analysis that produced the estimate
Total program cost, per participant $5,208
Good quality
Net benefit to participants, per participant $1,696
Outstanding quality

Cost information

How much did the program cost per participant? 

The average total program cost per participant was $5,208 in 2024 dollars. This figure is based on cost information for this program reported in one cost study reviewed by Pathways to Work (for details, see the FAQ). This study received a rating of Good quality for the cost analysis.

How much did the program cost relative to the benefits it generated? 

A cost-benefit analysis was conducted in the cost study reviewed, receiving a rating of Outstanding quality. The net benefit to participants was $1,696 per participant in 2024 dollars. This means that the net program benefit to participants (difference in benefits between the program and comparison group) was $1,696 more than the net cost of the program to participants. The estimate is expressed as the net present value, which accounts for differences in the timing of when benefits and costs occurred. In addition, the net benefit to government was -$2,373 per participant in 2024 dollars. The net benefit to society was -$679 per participant in 2024 dollars.

Cost information is not directly comparable across programs due to differences in the categories of costs reported and program length. Cost information is not an official price tag or guarantee.

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Implementation details

The information contained here reflects how the program was implemented at the time of the evaluation.

Local context

State(s) where implemented

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY Canada

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