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  • -4.12,1.50
  • 5238.00,1.50
  • 91.00,2.75
  • -4.12,1.50
  • 5238.00,1.50
  • 91.00,2.75

Summary

Grand Rapids Community College’s (GRCC’s) Pathways to Prosperity program offered occupational training and supportive services to adults with low incomes. 

GRCC’s Pathways to Prosperity program served adults with low incomes and low educational and basic skill levels in high-poverty areas in Kent County, MI. The program focused on providing services to individuals who were unemployed, had not completed high school, or had been formerly incarcerated. Pathways to Prosperity offered an eight-week course known as Career Prep, occupational training programs that resulted in a GRCC certificate, basic skills courses, and adult basic education and GED courses. Through the Career Prep course, participants earned the Michigan Employability Certificate. The program also provided academic and personal advising to help participants identify barriers, find necessary supportive services, and choose trainings. The program offered all training free of charge and provided transportation assistance and other financial assistance to pay for uniforms or tools. GRCC’s four organizational partners also guided participants on finding employment. Participants attended 3.3 months of coursework and training, on average, and the most commonly attended activity was the Career Prep class. The Pathways to Prosperity program was part of the larger Pathways Out of Poverty grant initiative, which funded 55 training programs in green occupations across the United States. GRCC operated Pathways to Prosperity from January 2010 to July 2012.

25335-Study of Pathways to
Populations and employment barriers: At least a high school diploma or equivalent

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 $0 per year 0.000 0
Long-term Little evidence to assess support $0 per year 0.000 0
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 8% (in percentage points) 0.201 274
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 1% (in percentage points) 0.023 238
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable $278 per year 0.081 185
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase education and training All measurement periods Cannot assess support

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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Implementation details

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
36%
White
56%
Asian
2%
American Indian or Alaska Native
2%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
1%
More than one race
4%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
14%

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.