The Florida Department of Education retained Evergreen Solution’s to evaluate the performance of the Florida Ready to Work (RTW) Program. Established in 2006, the Ready to Work Program is a statewide workforce education and economic development program. The goals of the Florida Ready to Work Program were to provide students and jobseekers with a standard credential that certifies their workplace readiness and ability to succeed on the job; save employers time and money by taking the guesswork out of the hiring process; help educators and workforce development partners prepare today’s students and jobseekers for tomorrow’s jobs; and help attract businesses with high-wage jobs to Florida which would grow Florida’s economy.
Evergreen Solutions conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the program throughout the State of Florida which involved visiting sites to obtain data and performance information from RTW shareholders. These shareholders, including job seekers, site administrators, and employers, provided real time feedback on how they felt the RTW Program was performing. In addition to administering surveys and conducting onsite visits, Evergreen Solutions analyzed data collected through the program, such as courseware utilization, performance of those taking assessments, employment rate for those with Ready to Work certifications, as well as overall success rate in varying geographic areas around the state.