From 2006 to 2007, the Heldrich Center conducted an evaluation of a program in Essex County, New Jersey that prepares women and minorities for apprenticeships in the construction trades. The evaluation included both a process evaluation (including structured interviews with stakeholders and program staff and focus groups and questionnaires with participants) and an outcome evaluation. The center used individual-level state administrative Unemployment Insurance wage records and data on basic skill levels to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in preparing students for careers in construction. The center also used probabilistic matching techniques to create a comparison group from New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Employment Services administrative data.

Products:

Evaluation of the Newark/Essex Construction Careers Consortium

Findings from the Evaluation of the Newark/Essex Construction Careers Consortium