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Summary

The Madison Strategies Group WorkAdvance Program aimed to meet the needs of less-skilled workers and local employers by providing training and employment services in fields with high local demand.

The WorkAdvance model included five key elements: (1) intensive screening before enrollment; (2) preemployment and work-readiness services, including career coaching, supportive services, and labor market information, all tailored to a specific vocational sector; (3) occupational skills training focused on current job openings; (4) job development and placement; and (5) provision of follow-up retention services in collaboration with employers. It was a versatile model that organizations implemented in various ways.

Madison Strategies Group, a nonprofit provider in Tulsa, OK, implemented the WorkAdvance model with an emphasis on the transportation and manufacturing sectors. Madison Strategies Group first implemented the model by offering a placement-first approach, which included intensive screening and work-readiness services and which allowed participants who were able to qualify for a job in the targeted sector to skip occupational skills training and seek immediate employment. In fall 2012, Madison Strategies Group switched to a training-first approach in which participants attended training before job placement. Madison Strategies Group delivered preemployment services in five sessions of six hours each, and occupational skills training lasted four to 32 weeks. Preemployment coaching consisted of one-on-one meetings and weekly group meetings. Supportive services included transportation vouchers and referrals for help with work clothing, legal issues, or housing issues. WorkAdvance focused on recruiting 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.

WorkAdvance was a sector-based workforce development model whose design was informed by prior research on sector strategies and career advancement. Madison Strategies Group WorkAdvance was a specific version of the WorkAdvance model. Three other sites implemented the WorkAdvance model as part of the WorkAdvance Demonstration, each with differing length, breadth, and depth of services: St. Nick’s Alliance in Brooklyn, NY; Towards Employment in northeast Ohio; and Per Scholas in the Bronx, New York City.

6762.03-Study of Madison Str
Populations and employment barriers: At least a high school diploma or equivalent

Implementation at a glance

Primary service
Program services
Employment coaching, Job development, Job placement, Job readiness, Job search assistance, Occupational or sectoral training, Post-employment participant follow-up, Soft skills training, Transportation assistance
Review services terms
Setting(s)
Urban only
Year evaluation began
2011
Implementing organization(s)Madison Strategies Group

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 $1,021 per year 0.028 697
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $3,135 per year 0.086 697
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $547 per year 0.015 697
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 2% (in percentage points) 0.056 697
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 3% (in percentage points) 0.063 697
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 1% (in percentage points) 0.014 697
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Cannot assess support
Long-term Little evidence to assess support unfavorable $216 per year 0.063 697
Very long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $-117 per year -0.034 697
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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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 $6,372
Outstanding quality
Net benefit to participants, per participant $13,706
Outstanding quality

Cost information

How much did the program cost per participant? 

The average total program cost per participant was $6,372 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 $13,706 per participant in 2024 dollars. This means that the net program benefit to participants (difference in benefits between the program and comparison group) was $13,706 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 $1,978 per participant in 2024 dollars. The net benefit to society was $16,060 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

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
28%
White
39%
Unknown, not reported, or other
26%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
6%

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.