The Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) AmeriCorps program was created to help increase digital and media literacy amongst new immigrants and low-income communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. CTEP functions as a key program of its parent organization, Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).
Study Goals:
The goal of this 2018 report is to continue the work started in the 2015 CTEP program evaluation and gather updated data on their program’s outcomes. CTEP improved the survey design, member involvement, and methods to reach more adult learners. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) and the Community Technology Empowerment Project’s (CTEP) usage of the Northstar assessment and Northstar-related classroom programming as it relates to learner employment outcomes.
Research Questions:
The primary research questions were:
- What is the employment rate of learners upon entering CTEP programs and the employment rate of learners after attending at least four hours of computer skills programming?
- What is the purpose of learners’ attendance in CTEP basic computer skills programs?
- What kind of employers and job types of adult learners who have attended at least four hours of computer skills programming?
- How do the CTEP employment result compare to the metro wide employment comparison group?
- What is the Return on Investment for the value of all new jobs received?
Findings:
The report results included:
- Among all survey respondents, the employment rate increased just over 10 percentage points, from 43.8% to 54.04%.
- Over 47% of unemployed adult learners who were searching for work had found employment at the time of survey administration.
- Over 81% of adult learners who were looking for work reported that attending CTEP-led computer skills classes helped them in searching for employment.
- For all employed adult learners, the median hourly wage was $14.79 and the mean hourly wage was $16.03.
- Compared to the State of Minnesota's Workforce program result data, the CTEP program had a post-intervention employment rate that was 7 percentage higher among a comparable population.
For more information, download the full report.
Full report
Full Report
Further information
Program/Intervention
Community Technology Empowerment Project
Implementing Organization
Saint Paul Neighborhood Network
Intermediary(s)
Saint Paul Neighborhood Network
AmeriCorps Program(s)
AmeriCorps State and National
Age(s) Studied
18-25 (Young adult)
Outcome Category
Employment
Study Type(s)
Impact
Study Design(s)
Quasi-Experimental (QED)
Level of Evidence
Preliminary
Researcher/Evaluator
Daniel Backman, MDP
Published Year
2018
Study Site Location (State)
Minnesota