Study Details | Pathways to Work

101004-Study of Career STRE

Study quality: High

High

Reason for the rating: This study received a high study quality rating because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition, suggesting the findings can be attributed to the program.

Program: Career STREAMS

Characteristics of study participants:

At least a high school diploma or equivalent

Services provided:

Case management, Financial education, Job development, Job readiness, Performance- or behavior-based financial incentives, Transportation assistance

Setting: Urban only

Methods and Standards Protocol version used for review: Version 2.0

Learn about our protocol

Study design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

Young adults seeking employment services from the Family and Workforce Centers of America (FWCA) in St. Louis, Missouri first attended an intake appointment where an intake specialist provided information on FWCA's employment programs and the Career STREAMS study. Individuals interested in participating in the study provided consent, completed a baseline survey, and were then randomly assigned to either the program or comparison group. A total of 908 individuals were randomized, with 455 individuals assigned to the program group and 453 individuals assigned to the comparison group.

Time period of study:

The study ran from August 2016 to December 2019. Study enrollment ran from August 2016 to December 2018. Data collection occurred through December 2019, with outcomes measured over a one-year follow-up period.

Primary outcome domains examined:

Increase short-term earnings, Increase long-term earnings, Increase short-term employment

Other outcome domains examined:

Relationship skills, relationship attitudes, intimate partner violence, relationship experiences, financial well-being, and economic hardship

Study funded by:

The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Contract Number HHSP233201500095G.

Results

View table definitions

Scroll to the right to view the rest of the table columns

Outcome domain	Measure	Timing	Study quality by finding	Comparison group mean	Program group mean	Impact	Units	Sample size
Increase short-term earnings	Average monthly earnings over follow-up period, UI data	Quarter 4	High	676.00	676.00	0.00	2019 dollars	724
Increase long-term earnings	Average monthly earnings over follow-up period, UI data	Quarter 8	High	799.00	803.00	3.00	2020 dollars	724
Increase short-term employment	Currently employed, follow-up survey	Year 1	High	76.00	76.00	0.00	percentage points	641
Increase short-term employment	Ever employed, annual, UI data	Quarter 4	High	92.00	89.00	-3.00	percentage points	724
Increase short-term employment	Total number of quarters employed, UI data	Quarter 8	High	2.96	2.87	-0.09	quarters	724

Short-term outcomes are those measured 18 months or fewer after participants are first offered services. Long-term outcomes are those measured between 18 months and 5 years after participants are first offered services. Very long-term outcomes are those measured 5 years or more after participants are first offered services.

Means are not displayed when not reported or not aligned with the impact estimates. For example, if the impact estimate is regression-adjusted but only unadjusted means are reported in the study, the unadjusted means are not displayed as they are not aligned with the adjusted impact estimate.

Impact estimates are not shown when the estimate units cannot be converted to natural units.

Findings quality key:

High
Moderate

Study quality terms?

The findings quality describe our confidence that a given study’s finding is because of the program. We do not display findings that rate low.

Findings key:

A moderate-to-large favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large favorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that might be due to chance
A favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A favorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that might be due to chance
An unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
An unfavorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size or direction
A finding of no effect that might be due to chance

Favorable findings are impacts in a direction that is socially desirable. Statistical significance indicates the likelihood that a study finding is due to the program, rather than due to chance. Findings are described as moderate-to-large if the program produced a sufficiently large change in the outcome. An impact receives this designation if the standardized effect size is equal to or greater than 0.25 or equal to or less than -0.25.

Sample characteristics

The study targeted young adults seeking employment services. Most study participants were Black, non-Hispanic (93 percent), had at least a high school diploma (91 percent), and were actively looking for work (80 percent). The majority of study participants were female (63 percent) and were receiving public assistance (60 percent). About half of participants (49 percent) had at least one child.

Age

Mean age

24 years

Sex

Female	63%
Male	37%

Race and ethnicity

Black or African American	93%
Another race	7%

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.

Family status

Parents

49%

Employment and public benefit status

Were employed	57%
Were unemployed	43%
Public benefits recipients	60%

Education

Had a high school diploma or GED	81%
Did not have a high school diploma or GED	19%

Specific employment barriers

Were involved with the justice system

17%

Program implementation

Implementing organization:

Family and Workforce Centers of America (FWCA)

Program history:

The program was launched in 2015.

Program services:

The Career STREAMS program offered an enhanced employment training program integrated with education on healthy relationships and finance literacy. Career STREAMS also offered individualized employment case management and job development services for up to 12 months after program enrollment, which were offered as part of the provider’s traditional training program.

Mandatory services:

None

Comparison services:

Comparison group members received the traditional employment training program offered by FWCA, individualized employment case management, and job development services.

Service receipt duration:

Career STREAMS began with a two-week workshop followed by five one-hour booster sessions. Participants could receive employment case management for up to one year.

Program funding:

The program was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance.

Study publications

Goesling, Brian, and Robert G. Wood (2023). Integrating healthy marriage and relationship education with economic stability services: Findings from two programs. OPRE Report No. 2023-12. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Goesling, Brian, Max Gross, and Julieta Lugo-Gil (2022). Integrating healthy marriage and relationship education into an employment training program: The impacts of Career STREAMS. OPRE Report No. 2022-162, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Gross, Max, Brian Goesling, and Julieta Lugo-Gil (2023). Integrating healthy marriage and relationship education into an employment program. Family Relations, 72(4), 1405-1421. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12866

View the glossary for more information about these and other terms used on this page.

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.

Study of Career STREAMS