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Summary

Per Scholas Sectoral Employment Program (Per Scholas) provided a computer technician training program, internships, soft skills training, and supportive services to participants with low incomes. The program aimed to help participants obtain computer certification and find jobs in the information technology sector.

Per Scholas participants enrolled in a 15-week computer technician training program that consisted of instruction and practice related to assembly, configuration, installation, upgrade, and repair of personal computers, printers, and copiers.

The training program prepared participants to obtain an entry-level computer certification. After the training, Per Scholas offered participants internships with local employers or with the Per Scholas recycling and refurbishing center.

The program also provided life skills training, employability training, career mentoring, job placement assistance, post-employment services, and assistance with work attire.

Participants were people with low incomes who had a GED or a high school diploma, had inconsistent participation in the labor market, and met standards for proficiency in English and math. Per Scholas was implemented in New York City, NY.

Two studies focused on Per Scholas. The first, a study of sector-based programs, also evaluated two other programs: Jewish Vocational Service-Boston and the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership. In the second study, Per Scholas implemented a WorkAdvance Model. This model provided technical training similar to that provided in the first study and offered more intensive career readiness services, including interview preparation, résumé development, and soft skills training. It also offered career advancement services, including career coaching while in training and postemployment coaching focused on obtaining promotions, higher wages, better benefits, or additional training. WorkAdvance is a sector-based workforce development model. Three other sites implemented the WorkAdvance model as part of the WorkAdvance Demonstration: Madison Strategies Group in Tulsa, OK; St. Nick’s Alliance in Brooklyn, NY; and Towards Employment in northeast Ohio.     

6762.01-Study of Per Scholas
Populations and employment barriers: At least a high school diploma or equivalent, Unemployed
3051.02-Study of Per Scholas
Populations and employment barriers: At least a high school diploma or equivalent

Implementation at a glance

Primary service
Program services
Employment coaching, Integrated education and training, Job development, Job placement, Job readiness, Job search assistance, Occupational or sectoral training, Paid work experience/internships, Post-employment participant follow-up, Soft skills training, Work supports
Review services terms
Setting(s)
Urban only
Year evaluation began
2003
Implementing organization(s)Per Scholas

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 favorable $219 per year 0.006 690
Long-term Well-supported favorable $10,972 per year 0.301 1027
Very long-term Supported favorable $7,400 per year 0.203 690
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 1% (in percentage points) 0.030 690
Long-term Supported favorable 5% (in percentage points) 0.118 1027
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 4% (in percentage points) 0.088 690
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Cannot assess support
Long-term Mixed support favorable $-206 per year -0.060 690
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable $144 per year 0.042 690
Increase education and training All measurement periods Supported favorable 39% (in percentage points) 0.773 552

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 2
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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 $7,047
Outstanding quality
Net benefit to participants, per participant $16,407
Outstanding quality

Cost information

How much did the program cost per participant? 

The average total program cost per participant was $7,047 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 Outstanding 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 $16,407 per participant in 2024 dollars. This means that the net program benefit to participants (difference in benefits between the program and comparison group) was $16,407 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 $13,924 per participant in 2024 dollars. The net benefit to society was $33,720 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

Dates covered by study

Two studies focused on the implementation and impacts of Per Scholas. In the first study, participants enrolled and were randomly assigned to the program in 2003. The study followed participants for 24–30 months after enrollment. 

The second study ran from June 2011 to December 2020. Study enrollment ran from June 2011 to June 2013. Data collection occurred from June 2011 to December 2020, with outcomes measured using administrative data over a seven-year follow-up period.

Organizations implementing program

Per Scholas is a nonprofit that provides training and employment services focused on the information technology sector. The organization began providing services in 1998. Per Scholas has established strong relationships with local information technology employers.

Populations served

All Per Scholas participants were required to hold a GED or high school diploma and test at a 10th-grade level in English and math prior to enrollment. Participation in Per Scholas was voluntary.

In the first study, 28 percent of participants had additional education beyond a high school diploma. A majority of participants (76 percent) were male. Fifty percent were Black, not Hispanic, 41 percent were Hispanic or Latino, three percent were White, not Hispanic, and the remaining six percent identified as another race. Twenty-six percent of participants were employed at the time of random assignment. Twenty-six percent of participants were born outside the United States.

The second study focused on individuals ages 18 or older who were legally allowed to work in the United States, had a monthly family income less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, and earned less than $15 per hour, if employed. All participants had at least a high school diploma or GED. Most participants were male (87 percent) and were unemployed (87 percent). The majority of participants had some postsecondary education (63 percent).

Description of services implemented

Per Scholas offered services focused on training and employment in the information technology sector. The services included:

  • Intensive screening before enrollment. Per Scholas screened applicants for eligibility and conducted interviews. The program required applicants to test at a 10th-grade level in English and math, and hold a GED or high school diploma.
  • Career readiness services. Per Scholas used a curriculum focused on the information technology sector to provide career readiness services; career readiness modules were integrated into the occupational skills training throughout the week. Examples of activities included completing sample interview questions about technical jobs, reviewing industry career maps, developing a “60-second pitch,” and learning about recent developments in the industry.
  • Occupation skills training. Per Scholas provided occupational skills training focused on technical skill development. Per Scholas offered CompTIA A+ certification for entry-level computer service technicians. Per Scholas added CompTIA Network+ trainings at the time of the second study. Trainings were offered full time during regular business hours. Per Scholas also offered paid internships to some participants. These internships provided the opportunity to apply skills from the technical trainings.
  • Job development and placement. Per Scholas prepared participants for interviews, helped with résumé development, and made job matches between participants and employer partners.
  • Retention and advancement services. At the time of the second study, Per Scholas provided retention services, which included quarterly one-on-one coaching, invitations to job skills workshops, and direct communication with employers about a participant’s performance during the first 90 days at the job. Per Scholas staff provided these services after a participant completed occupational skills training and began work in a job.

During the first study, the CompTIA A+ certification exam changed. In response, Per Scholas changed the training curriculum. Per Scholas also revised the curriculum to include training on Apple computers. During the second study, the curriculum was modified to include more hands-on activities and training on hand-held devices. An advisory group of local employers in the information technology sector also reviewed the curriculum.

Evaluators did not report information on the structure of trainings during the first study. In the second study, participants completed trainings in cohorts of 15–20 participants. Throughout trainings, program staff provided additional coaching and supportive services to keep participants engaged. Based on employer feedback over time, Per Scholas added a training focused on software. Staff also updated the career readiness curriculum and classroom requirements to focus more on soft skills, such as interview skills, and expected workplace behaviors, such as appropriate dress and arriving on time. Employers identified these skills as important when making hiring decisions about program participants.

Service intensity

Participants in the first study attended a 15-week, 500-hour-long computer technician training program. Seventy-eight percent of participants completed the training program. The duration of participation in other services, such as internships and life skills training, varied.

In the second study, career readiness services were delivered in 12 sessions, each lasting seven hours. Occupational skills training lasted 15 weeks. Ninety-six percent of participants completed career readiness activities and occupational skills trainings. Forty-nine percent of participants received other supportive services during the program. The study authors cited the program’s extensive screening process as a key reason for high uptake of services.

Comparison conditions

People randomly assigned to the comparison condition could not participate in services provided by Per Scholas but could receive any other services in the community.

Partnerships

During the first study, Per Scholas had formal partnerships with local support agencies, including food banks, family service centers, and organizations that provided professional clothing for interviews.

In the second study, the study did not indicate any partners were involved in implementing the program.

Staffing

The first study did not report staffing information. During the second study, thirteen staff members—10 full time and three part time—supported Per Scholas. One full-time coordinator, one recruiter, and one part-time administrative assistant oversaw the program. One part-time intake specialist and two full-time screening specialists oriented participants and provided career readiness services. One full-time follow-up counselor and three full-time career coaches provided case management and career coaching services. Two full-time job developers provided job development services. One part-time follow-up counselor managed data for the study.

Fidelity measures

The studies did not discuss any tools to measure fidelity to the program model.

Funding source

The first study indicated that the Per Scholas program was funded by foundations and private companies.. 

In the second study, the program was funded by a Social Innovation Fund grant to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, and the Center for Economic Opportunity funded WorkAdvance. Matching funds for WorkAdvance were provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Open Society Foundations, The Rockefeller Foundation, Altman Foundation, Common Bond Foundation, Ford Foundation, The Fund for Our Economic Future, George Kaiser Family Foundation, The Ira W. DeCamp Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Robin Hood Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Tiger Foundation, Tulsa Area United Way, Tulsa Community Foundation, and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc.

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

Local context

Per Scholas operated in New York City, NY.
The first study did not include information on the local context. In 2011, the first year of the second study, the unemployment rate was eight percent; the unemployment rate steadily declined to six percent in 2015, which was when service delivery ended. In New York City, the number of people employed in the information technology sector rose slightly throughout the program; 119,292 people were employed in the sector when random assignment began in the third quarter of 2011, and this number rose to 125,702 at the conclusion of random assignment in the third quarter of 2013.

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
46%
White, not Hispanic
4%
Unknown, not reported, or other
12%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
38%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

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

Pathways to Work refers to programs by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some program names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.