Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Jessie Lee

Abstract

For unemployed, young, African American males who face significant barriers to jobs, public employment training centers have become a critical last option. For 2016, the U.S. federal government appropriated more than $6.9 billion to states for Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act programs and approximately $3.4 billion in federal formula funding for partner programs. The research problem in this study concerns the lack of adequate employment-based policies and programs that guide the workforce employment process between program managers and recipients, in particular, young, African American males. Guided by Ingram, Schneider, and DeLeon’s theory of social construction and policy design, this study examined the perceptions of public workforce employment professionals involved with assisting these recipients. Research questions for this qualitative case study were designed to investigate how the perception of program professionals assisted recipients. In this case study, data were triangulated through the use of in-depth interviews, the researcher’s notebook, and member checking. Thematic analysis of the data revealed 5 emergent themes: (a) perceived barriers and stereotypes, (b) strategies for securing employment, (c) managing change and new technology, (d) perceptions of job search benefits and burdens, and (e) politics of the organization. Participants encouraged recipients to prepare for a changing labor market by using training workshops. The implications for positive social change include recommendations to policy makers that focus on strategies to encourage a greater sense of independence, autonomy, and use of new technology for recipients involved in public employment training to help them find and sustain meaningful employment.

Download

Share

 
COinS