Job Corps
Better Targeted Career Training and Improved Preenrollment Information Could Enhance Female Residential Student Recruitment and Retention
GAO-09-470, Jun 22, 2009
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Established in 1964, Job Corps is the nation's largest residential, educational, and career training program for economically disadvantaged youths. Administered by the Department of Labor (Labor), Job Corps received about $1.6 billion in program year 2007 and served about 60,000 students. Some have expressed concern that Job Corps centers are not meeting planned enrollment goals, particularly for women. To address these concerns, GAO reviewed the (1) extent to which Job Corps centers are operating at or near capacity for residential students; (2) major factors that affect the recruitment and retention of residential students, particularly females; and (3) steps, if any, Labor has taken to address the recruitment and retention of residential students. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed Labor's enrollment data, surveyed Job Corps recruiters and center directors, and visited seven Job Corps centers.
Overall, the Job Corps program has been operating at or near capacity for male residential students, but under capacity for female residential students during program years 2005 through 2007. During each of those years, Job Corps achieved between 95 and 98 percent of the planned enrollment for male residential students nationwide, but about 80 percent or less for female residential students. In fact, about one-half of the centers that enrolled female residential students in program year 2007 were below 80 percent of their planned enrollment for that group. Three key factors affect Job Corps' ability to recruit and retain residential students, particularly female residential students--availability of career training options, complete and accurate preenrollment information, and quality of center life. The selection and availability of career training offerings in occupations of interest to students play a major role in Job Corps' ability to recruit students, particularly female residential students, according to officials that we surveyed. A key factor affecting both recruitment and retention is ensuring that students have accurate preenrollment information about Job Corps. Officials noted that having realistic expectations of life at a center is especially important for female students. Finally, center officials said that the quality of life at the centers, including the living conditions and the sense of safety, affects students' willingness to stay in the program. Labor has begun making improvements in career training offerings, preenrollment information, and quality of center life in an effort to address issues related to the recruitment and retention of residential students. While Labor has gradually made more training opportunities available that are likely to appeal to female students, these are typically at a center's request and not part of an overall strategy. In addition, Labor has taken some steps to ensure that students receive detailed preenrollment information, but has not yet expanded these efforts nationally. Finally, Labor has several efforts under way to improve the quality of center life for students, including ensuring a drug-free environment and providing child care facilities for single parents.
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Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.
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Recommendations for Executive Action
Recommendation: To improve the recruitment and retention of residential students, the Secretary of Labor should review the availability and selection of career training offerings at centers--particularly those centers that are experiencing difficulty with female enrollment-- and assess whether centers need to adjust their career training options to offer more career training that is both attractive to women and that could lead to careers that will enable women to become self-sufficient.
Agency Affected: Department of Labor
Status: Open
Comments: Labor concurred in part, responding that it fully understands the need to offer "female-friendly" career training to increase female enrollment, which can be achieved by providing training in programs offering long-term, sustainable employment. Toward that end, Job Corps is targeting training in high-skill, high-growth careers that provide a livable wage and career growth. In selecting new trade offerings, it routinely looks beyond traditional occupations for females and is researching new and emerging industries. The agency notes that it works to address all factors that prevent women from enrolling and graduating from the program, such as parental responsibilities. In FY10, Labor reported that these efforts are still in process. Labor did not provide an update in FY11.
Recommendation: To improve the recruitment and retention of residential students, the Secretary of Labor should expand current efforts to ensure that outreach and admissions contractors across all six regions consistently provide potential students with complete and accurate information on all aspects of Job Corps, including providing specific information about the center in which the student will be enrolled.
Agency Affected: Department of Labor
Status: Open
Comments: The Department of Labor agreed with this recommendation and noted several efforts taken in the past year to ensure the provision of complete and accurate information. Job Corps established new contracting mechanisms, created new collateral materials and developed a new recruitment web site to ensure applicants and their families have a complete understanding of the program. For instance, the Boston Regional Office developed a video, "What to Expect in Job Corps" to explain center rules and conduct expectations, which is required viewing for all applicants in the Boston region. The National Office of Job Corps is exploring the feasibility of duplicating this video and requiring all applicants across the country to view it. In addition, Job Corps recently launched a national recruitment web site to communicate with its target audience: students and parents. Each Job Corps center also created its own individual web site to provide specific center information that includes all the details deemed necessary for new students. The agency will continue to explore innovative ways to inform applicants about services and expectations at its centers. In FY10, Labor reported that these efforts are still in process. Labor did not provide an update in FY11.
Recommendation: To improve the recruitment and retention of residential students, the Secretary of Labor should explore the feasibility or cost-effectiveness of developing video or online virtual tours for all centers.
Agency Affected: Department of Labor
Status: Open
Comments: The Department of Labor concurred with this recommendation, noting the importance of applicants being able to tour centers before enrolling. Job Corps policy requires Outreach and Admissions staff to provide center tours whenever possible. Unfortunately, due to travel expenses this may not be readily available to everyone. Therefore, the National Office of Job Corps put tools and resources in place to help applicants determine what a center is actually like, such as DVDs, marketing materials and web site information. The National Office is exploring cost effective options to create center-specific videos for all centers, such as Boston's "What to Expect in Job Corps" video. Job Corps is developing a DVD combining center video footage and center-specific still photography to provide an overview of training and education opportunities while highlighting information about individual centers. They will produce a prototype and evaluate its effectiveness before creating one for each center. In FY10, Labor reported that these efforts are still in process. The agency did not provide an update in FY11.