| After-school programs are poised to become a potentially major strategy for fostering work readiness among youth, a critical yet marginalized component of postsecondary success. After School Matters in Chicago is considered a leader in this regard, the largest and most well-known program of its kind in the country. Yet, the most rigorous evaluation of the program to date revealed no significant gains in participants' work readiness and hirability. This disappointing outcome from one of the field's most prominent players is indication that, if after-school programs are to assume a meaningful role in the workforce preparation of youth, more work needs to be done to understand the challenges that undermine this capacity, and to capture, codify, and disseminate the practices that optimize it.;The dissertation attempts to do just this through in-depth, qualitative analysis of the 13 ASM apprenticeships included in the evaluation. In the first of three studies, I target pockets of excellence in ASM programming: two apprenticeships identified as providing superior support for work-related skills and attributes. The findings detail two promising yet starkly contrasting models to improve program effectiveness on a broad scale. In the second study, I assess whether the two models are equally feasible for large-scale implementation. Findings suggest clear advantages of one model (organized competition) over the other (authoritative mentoring).;In the third study, I focus on support for teamwork, a critical skill for the modern workforce. Findings expose striking differences in the nature of teamwork across program sites and detail corresponding differences in collaborative skill demands and team values. I present an initial typology of teamwork models as a tool for youth program developers (and others in the field) to better understand the collaborative experiences provided to youth and the extent to which these support established goals for youth development.;Overall, the dissertation offers a balanced and nuanced perspective on after-school programs as contexts for workforce preparation. Findings illuminate strengths and limitations of ASM in fulfilling this mission and provide operable suggestions to maximize the potential of all programs dedicated to workforce preparation after school. |
