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Summary

Year Up Professional Training Corps (Year Up PTC) was an adaptation of the core Year Up program focused on college sites and worked together with the colleges to provide academic and supportive services for young adults with low income from urban settings with a high school diploma or equivalent.

Year Up PTC applicants applied to both the Year Up program and the partner college. Once accepted to both, participants took part in a full-day program for five days a week that included structured college courses, professional skills courses, and technical skills courses. The college courses were provided by the partner college, and participants earned up to 15 college credits during this time period. Many of these courses were either geared toward an occupational path or meant to prepare the participant for college-level courses. Following six months of coursework, participants worked in a sponsored internship for six months and continued to receive professional development training and mentorship. Year Up paid participants a weekly stipend throughout the year of up to $50 per week for the first six months of coursework and up to $150 per week for the next six months of the internship. 

Year Up PTC served young adults who had a high school diploma or equivalent, were disconnected from school and work, and who demonstrated interest in and motivation to pursue education and training. Year Up PTC was implemented in 15 metropolitan areas across the country, with three local sites participating in the study.

90001-Study of Year Up Pro
Populations and employment barriers: Young adults (age 16-24), At least a high school diploma or equivalent

Implementation at a glance

Primary service
Education and Training
Program services
Education and Training, Employment coaching, Job placement, Job search assistance, Peer mentoring, Performance- or behavior-based financial incentives, Soft skills training, Stipends, Unpaid work experience/internships
Review services terms
Setting(s)
Urban only
Year evaluation began
2017
Implementing organization(s)Year Up; local colleges and employers

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 Not supported unfavorable $-7,071 per year -0.194 519
Long-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable $-73 per year -0.002 519
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable -2% (in percentage points) -0.044 519
Long-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable -3% (in percentage points) -0.079 519
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Cannot assess support
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase education and training All measurement periods Supported favorable 10% (in percentage points) 0.204 552

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 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 $28,388
Interpret cost findings with caution

Cost information

How much did the program cost per participant?

The average total program cost per participant was $28,388 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 Interpret cost findings with caution for the cost analysis.

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

The study ran from August 2017 to July 2022. Study enrollment ran from August 2017 to early 2019 (with participants enrolled through September 2018 included in the present study). Data collection occurred from July 2017 to July 2022, with outcomes measured over a three-year follow-up period.

Organizations implementing program

Year Up delivered the Year Up PTC program in partnership with local college sites and local employers. Year Up was a national nonprofit organization with locations offering program services in 16 states and with national offices located in Boston, MA and New York, NY. Its mission was to close the opportunity divide for young adults without a path to a stable career by helping them gain skills, experience, and support.

Populations served

All study participants were young adults ages 18 to 24 with low incomes and at least a high school diploma or GED at study entry. Most participants (82 percent) displayed multiple risk factors (such as financial issues, housing issues, or a history of substance abuse). The majority of participants had some postsecondary education (71 percent), were Black (64 percent), were employed (63 percent), and were male (54 percent).

Description of services implemented

Year Up PTC aimed to equip students with skills and hands-on job experience needed to improve their career outcomes. It adapted the Year Up program to a college setting and reduced the intensity of some services. The program was delivered in two phases—a six-month learning and development phase followed by a six-month  internship phase—with optional post-program supports available for up to 12 months after the internship ended. Key services provided included:

  • Basic skills and technical training. In the first program phase, participants received training in basic English language skills, soft skills, and technical skills; intensive coaching; monitoring; and group feedback from learning communities encompassing program staff and peer participants. Participants were required to be enrolled full-time in courses during this phase and received a weekly $50 stipend, contingent on meeting performance expectations.
  • Internships. Participants were paired with employers in a high-demand job sector for six-month full-time internships. Participants received weekly stipends of $150 contingent on meeting performance standards. Students also participate in workshops and advisement sessions one afternoon per week with Year Up staff.
  • Job search and placement assistance. After completion of the internship phase, participants could receive ongoing job search and placement assistance for up to 12 months.

Service intensity

Participants received services for 12 months. The first six months involved a leadership and development phase, where students took academic and technical courses with college instructors and received training, coaching, and other supports from Year Up staff. Over the next six months, participants were placed in full-time internships with local firms and participated in a weekly half-day Internship Seminar workshop led by Year Up staff. Following completion of the internship, participants continued to have access to job search and placement assistance, as well as support for college enrollment, from Year Up staff for up to 12 months.  

Comparison conditions

Young adults assigned to the comparison condition were not allowed to receive Year Up PTC program services but could receive comparable skills training services and work experience elsewhere in the community, including at the colleges where the Year Up PTC program was provided.

Partnerships

Year Up partnered with local colleges and employers to deliver the program.

  • Colleges. Delivered basic skills and technical training and coaching to participants, including training in basic English language skills, soft skills, and technical skills; intensive coaching; monitoring; and group feedback from learning communities that included program staff and peer participants.
  • Employers. Provided six-month, full-time internships in a high-demand job sector. Provided weekly stipends conditional on participants meeting performance standards.

Staffing

Year Up PTC is implemented by partner college instructors and Year Up PTC staff.

  • College instructors. College instructors delivered the academic and technical courses during the six-month learning and development phase. This differed from the core Year Up model where Year Up staff provided this content.
  • Year Up staff. Year Up staff provided professional skill development content, arranged and monitored internships and participant compliance with Year Up contracts, ran learning communities and seminars, and provided coaching and post-program alumni supports.

Fidelity measures

The study measured the fidelity of local Year Up PTC program operations to the program model on three core dimensions of fidelity: breaking even financially, operating as well as the core Year Up program with leaner staffing, and establishing high-quality college partnerships. Financially, programs were assessed on whether the average cost per participant did not exceed average revenues from employment internship payments based on Year Up financial model projects based on expected program enrollment. Staffing was measured based on the number of staff per program office compared to a benchmark of average staff per office for the core Year Up program and local PTC leads deeming staffing as sufficient. College partnership goals were measured based on PTC program lead and college leads' assessment of partnership quality as above average, average, or below average.

Funding source

The program was funded by employers, in the form of internship payments, and partner colleges.

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

Local context

The program was implemented by the following organizations: Year Up, a national nonprofit organization with national offices in Boston, MA and New York, NY; local colleges and employers in each implementing site.

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
64%
Another race
18%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
18%

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.