Semi-Structured Interview Topic Guide for Partners

Appendix M.

Semi-Structured Interview Topic Guide for College Administrators, Program Directors, Program Staff, College Instructors and Faculty, and Partners

SCC4 Overarching Semi-Structured Interview Topic Guide

This appendix lists the topics we will cover during phone interviews and site visits for the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants Program Round 4 (SCC4) Evaluation. We will interview a range of different types of respondents including college administrators, college faculty and instructors, SCC4 program leaders, SCC4 program staff, and employers and other key partners. The study team will not cover all topics with a single respondent but will instead tailor questions to the respondent group. Similarly, the study team will tailor the questions based on how far along the college is in implementing SCC4 services. For example, planning and contextual questions will be asked during the Round 1 visit, while outcomes will be discussed in the Round 2 visit. The roadmap table below provides an overview of topic areas, the typical respondents that will be asked to address key topics, and the data collection round when questions are expected to be asked. A more detailed description of the topic areas, including subtopics, is provided below the table.

SCC4 Master Topic Guide Overview
Topic areas	Typical respondents	Data collection round
Respondent background Name, title, and organization/affiliation Role in SCC4 grant program and other organization roles Length of involvement with college and with the program Training/educational background	College administrators, college faculty, program leaders/managers, program staff, and partners	Site visit Round 1, 2, phone calls
Institutional context Strategic priorities for sector strategies, career pathways, or workforce development at the college Major initiatives at the college similar to SCC4 program Maturity of SCC4 program at start of grant Institutional factors that may influence SCC4 implementation Changes in college funding for sector-based strategies Enrollment trends	College administrators, program leaders/managers	Site visit Round 1, 2 (focus on changes since Round 1), phone calls
Local community context Local economic context Regional workforce systems and partners Training and service providers in community providing services similar to SCC4 Service gaps in local community Barriers to participants securing employment or training	Program leaders/managers, program staff, college faculty, partners	Site visit Round 1, 2 (focus on changes since Round 1), phone calls
Program planning process Respondent’s role in development of SCC4 core elements and strategy options Motivation to apply for SCC4 grant Process for selecting SCC4 sector and core elements Engagement of Internal and external partners in SCC4 planning Role of student voice in program planning Use of data to guide program planning Successes and challenges related to program planning	College administrators, program leaders/managers, college faculty, partners	Site visit Round 1
Program management and staffing College departments engaged in SCC4 program SCC4 program leadership and staffing structure Program management processes and systems Professional development to strengthen services Program leadership Program staff College faculty Structures for integrating student voice Structures for integrating employer voice Successes and challenges in program management and staffing	Program leaders/managers	Site visit Round 1, 2 (focus on changes since Round 1), phone calls
Recruitment, intake, and enrollment Populations of interest for recruitment Recruitment strategies Application, intake, and enrollment processes Successes and challenges in recruitment, intake, and enrollment	Program leaders/managers, program staff	Site visit Round 1, 2 (focus on changes since Round 1), phone calls
SCC4 services High-level overview of service model/sequence for typical SCC4 participant Education and training services Work-based learning Navigation and coaching services Supportive services and wraparound supports Job development/job placement Post-program services	Program leaders/managers, program staff, college faculty, partners (respondent varies depending on service)	Site visit Round 1, 2, phone calls
Partners Type of partner Role of employer partner in SCC4 program Role of supportive service partner in SCC4 program Role of other community-based partner in SCC4 program Successes and challenges in relation to SCC4 program	Program leader/managers, partners	Site visit Round 1, 2, phone calls
Participant outcomes, systems change, and sustainability SCC4 participant outcomes and successes Role of SCC4 in supporting participant outcomes Unexpected participant outcomes Differences in qualitative unexpected outcomes for SCC4 participant Changes to policies/practices/procedures for sector pathways training New/improved partnerships Sustainability/expansion plan for SCC4 services Sustainability/expansion plan for SCC4 system improvements	College administrators, program leaders/managers, partners	Site visit Round 2

1. Respondent background  

1. Name, title, and organization/affiliation  

2. Role in the SCC4 grant program and other organization roles  

3. Length of involvement with college and with the program 

4. Training/educational background

2. Institutional context

1. Strategic priorities for sector strategies, career pathways, or workforce development at the college

• Efforts to promote job quality at the college or to participants

• Planned changes to current investments in sector strategies or career pathway training

• Alignment of SCC4 with the strategic priorities of college

2. Major initiatives at the college that are similar to SCC4 program

• Similar sector-based strategies

• Similar career pathways efforts

• Programs that offer similar supportive services

• Programs that seek to engage specific populations

3. Maturity of SCC4 program at start of grant

4. Institutional factors that may influence SCC4 program implementation

• Potential leadership changes or restructuring at the college that may influence SCC4 program

5. Changes in college funding for sector-based strategies

6. Enrollment trends

3. Local community context

1. Local economic context

• Conditions of local job market

• Types of employers

• Occupations, certifications, and skills in high demand

• Influence of local economic context on SCC4 planning, design, or implementation

2. Regional workforce systems and partners

• Sector-based groups and conveners

• Public workforce development partners

• Worker-focused organizations

3. Training and service providers in community providing services similar to SCC4

• Existing career pathway efforts in SCC4 sector

4. Service gaps in local community

5. Barriers to participants securing employment or training

4. Program planning process

1. Respondent’s role in development of SCC4 core elements and strategy options

2. Motivation to apply for SCC4 grant

3. Process for selecting SCC4 sector and core elements

4. Engagement of internal and external partners in SCC4 planning

• College departments and staff

• Sector convener (e.g., trade/industry association, the lead applicant or consortium member, a local workforce board, a Chamber of Commerce, a labor-management partnership, or a similar industry focused organization)

• Public workforce development system partners

• Worker-focused organizations

• Employers

• Community-based service providers

5. Role of student voice in program planning

6. Use of data to guide program planning

7. Successes and challenges related to program planning

5. Program management and staffing

1. College departments engaged in SCC4 program

• Roles of different college departments

• Collaboration/coordination between college departments

2. SCC4 program leadership and staffing structure

• Titles, roles, and responsibilities of program leaders and staff

3. Program management processes and systems

• Strategies for creating understanding and buy-in for SCC4 program

• Promoting communication with staff about program goals and shifts in priorities

• Coordinating with partners and staff

• Tracking data and reporting

• Key meetings and convenings

4. Professional development to strengthen services

5. Program leadership

6. Program staff

7. College faculty

8. Structures for integrating student voice

9. Structures for integrating employer voice

10. Successes and challenges in program management and staffing

6. Recruitment, intake, and enrollment

1. Populations of interest for recruitment

• Characteristics of participants that are a good fit for SCC4 (e.g., age, skill level, education level, amount of work experience, etc.)

• Strategies for connecting with populations of interest

• Strategies for enrolling populations of interest

2. Recruitment strategies

• Key college staff involved in recruitment

• Use of advertising/outreach events

• Use of informational sessions/workshops

• Role of partners in referrals/recruitment

• Most/least effective recruitment strategies

3. Application, intake, and enrollment process

• Application process

• Eligibility determination/eligibility variation by service/pathway

• Use of assessments to screen participants

• Number of applications compared to enrollment

• Influence of impact study on enrollment

4. Successes and challenges in recruitment, intake, and enrollment

• Successes and challenges specific to populations of interest

7. SCC4 services

1. High-level overview of service model/sequence for typical SCC4 participant

• Differences between services offered to SCC4 participants compared to non-SCC4 participants

2. Education and training services

• Types and sequence of applied occupational training offered for each career pathway

• Types and sequence of classroom training provided (remedial/basic skills, other)

• Differences between services offered to SCC4 participants compared to non-SCC4 participants

• Tailoring of services to specific populations

• Successes and challenges

3. Work-based learning

• Types of work-based learning offered to SCC4 participants (apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship, paid work experiences, unpaid internships)

• Process for identifying/engaging employers in development of work-based learning

• Eligibility and selection of participants

• Differences between services offered to SCC4 participants compared to non-SCC4 participants

• Tailoring of services to specific populations

• Successes and challenges

4. Navigation and coaching services

• Types and intensity of navigation and coaching services provided to SCC4 participants (college and career planning, course selection, career assessments)

• Planned versus actual meetings (i.e., number of times students actually met versus what was planned) (impact study colleges only)

• Organization and staff who provide navigation and coaching services (e.g., SCC4 program-specific or offered by other college departments)

• Process for participants to access/receive navigation and coaching services (self-selection, mandatory meetings, etc.)

• Strategies for reaching out to students

• Barriers to a meeting at prescribed frequency (impact study colleges only)

• Study material alignment with student needs (e.g., needs assessments) (impact study colleges only)

• Frequency of use of study materials (impact study colleges only)

5. Supportive services and wraparound supports

• Types of supportive services available to SCC4 treatment group (e.g., childcare, transportation, housing, emergency funds, etc.)

• Process and decision-making for provision/referral to supportive services (e.g., participant initiated, brokered through program-staff, application and eligibility requirements, assessments informing recommendations, etc.)

• Alignment of supportive services with students’ needs

• Number and types of organizations that provide supportive services (e.g., college, supportive services staff, and community-based partners)

• Adequacy of services to meet SCC4 participant needs

• Facilitation of warm hand-offs for external services

• Differences between services offered to SCC4 treatment group compared to SCC4 comparison group

• Tailoring of supportive services to specific populations

• Coach responses upon identifying needs of students in the comparison group

• Successes and challenges

6. Job development/job placement

• Types, intensity, and sequencing of job development/job placement services offered to SCC4 treatment group

• Number and type of organization and staff that provide job placement services (e.g., college staff, program-specific staff, community-based partner staff)

• Process for participants to access/receive job placement services (e.g. self-selection, mandatory meetings with job placement staff, referral to partner, etc.)

• Differences between services offered to SCC4 treatment group compared to SCC4 comparison group

• Successes and challenges

7. Post-program services

• Meeting with students after program completion

• Format (e.g., virtual, phone, in-person, other)

• Barriers to conducting meetings or follow-up after program completion

• Planned versus actual meetings (i.e., number of times students actually met versus what was planned)

• Participants’ needs after program completion

• Alignment of study resources with student needs

8. Partners

1. Type of partner (e.g., employer, sector convener, workforce development partner, worker organization, community-based organization, other service provider)

2. Role of employer partner in SCC4 program

• Consulting on curriculum or SCC4 training

• Providing work-based learning opportunities

• Job placement

• Participation in SCC4 events or activities (e.g., job fairs or facility tours)

• Participation in advisory boards or sector strategy consultation

• Other roles

3. Role of supportive service partner in SCC4 program

• Role in referral or recruitment

• Supportive services offered to SCC4 participants (e.g., transportation, childcare, etc.)

• Participation in SCC4 events or activities (e.g., job fairs, facility tours, review of curriculum)

• Participation in advisory boards or consultation

• Other roles

4. Role of other community-based partner in SCC4 program

• Role in referral, recruitment, and/or job placement

• Services offered to SCC4 participants

• Participation in SCC4 events or activities (e.g., job fairs, facility tours, review of curriculum)

• Participation in advisory boards or consultation

• Placement of participants into internships, work-training, or jobs

• Other roles

5. Successes and challenges in relation to SCC4 program

9. Participant outcomes, systems change, and sustainability

1. SCC4 participant outcomes and successes

• Job readiness of completers

2. Role of SCC4 in supporting participant outcomes

3. Unexpected participant outcomes

4. Differences in qualitative/unexpected outcomes for SCC4 participant

• SCC4 systems outcomes and successes

5. Changes to policies/practices/procedures for sector pathways training

6. New/improved partnerships

• Other

7. Sustainability/expansion plan for SCC4 services

• Sustainability of intrusive coaching

• Sustainability of supportive services

8. Sustainability/expansion plan for SCC4 system improvements

Public reporting for this data collection instrument is estimated to average 1 hour per response. The burden estimate includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintain the data needed, and completing and submitting the survey. This collection of information is voluntary. You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. Please send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attention: Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-1301, Washington, DC 20210 or email DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov and reference OMB Control Number [1290-0xxx]. Please do not send your completed data collection to this address.