Evaluation of the AECF Jobs Initiative First Annual/Cross-Site Report

Executive Summary

By the Annie E. Casey Foundation

November 3, 2000

Aecf Evaluationof Annie E Casey Foundation Jobs Initiative First Annual Report Executive Summary cover

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89-page PDF

In This Report, You’ll Learn

  • The purpose of the Jobs Initiative and how it was designed.
  • A definition of the “theory of change” approach that was central to the Jobs initiative.
  • Key features and characteristics of the six Jobs Initiatives sites and how they were selected.
  • Challenges during the capacity-building phase.
  • How locally-designed projects were encouraged to address labor market barriers.
  • The demands of managing multiple task forces and committees.
  • What "outcome funding" means.
  • How human services were integrated into project designs.
  • The role of neighborhood organizations in developing connections with low-skilled job seekers and low-income workers.

About This Report

Summary

This report recaps the planning phase of the Foundation’s Jobs Initiative across six sites. The executive summary describes the accomplishments and challenges of locally-designed projects to help disadvantaged job seekers land family-supporting employment.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaway

Access trumps creation of jobs

Casey's Jobs Initiative prioritized job access rather than job creation in response to a relatively tight labor market and worker shortages in many industries. As a result, the six Jobs Initiative sites focused their efforts on job preparation, job readiness and job quality, finding pathways to longer-term, family-supporting employment.

Findings & Stats

Statements & Quotations