Are there specific elements of public job creation programs that improve the chances of success?
Combinations of work and learning including those that link publicly-funded jobs to education or vocational training seem particularly effective in helping hard-to-employ individuals acquire marketable job skills. Close supervision at the work site and intensive job search and placement assistance also play key roles in promoting successful transitions into unsubsidized employment. Many innovative models are designed to prepare individuals for jobs in growing sectors of the local or regional economy (e.g., home health care and office technologies). Finally, the most effective programs are carefully targeted to serve individuals who cannot otherwise find employment and allow participants to remain in the program long enough to acquire significant new skills and work experience.
