Community Voices Heard

This report documents the results of a comprehensive examination of the Employment Services and Placement (ESP) System, a key program developed and administered by the Human Resources Administration (HRA) to further its work-first approach. The renewal contracts, established by the start of 2003, allocated up to $130 million for program services over three years – estimating that the program would service almost 80,000 people in that time period. At each ESP site, a combination of job readiness, job skills training, and job search assistance is offered to prepare individuals for and connect them to jobs; services are then provided to help participants retain jobs. Combining 600 client surveys, 19 provider interviews, and 2004 monthly performance data tracked by HRA, the research looks at whether or not job readiness and job placement programs accomplish what they set out to, what stands in their way, and how they might be improved to better serve the needs of the clients, the providers and the system at large.