Transition to Work (TtW) is an Australian Government program that aims to provide intensive pre-employment support to improve the work readiness of young people who are at risk of long-term unemployment and help them into work or education.

This supplementary evaluation focused on the effect of TtW on participants’ human capabilities, recidivism, longer-term impacts and the extension of the maximum duration of service from 12 months to 18 months. 

The evaluation used a range of qualitative and quantitative data sources including surveys, qualitative fieldwork and administrative data. Statistical methods used to analyse quantitative data included descriptive statistics and logistic regression modelling. Where appropriate, analysis compared outcomes achieved by TtW participants with outcomes achieved by matched samples of jobactive participants.

Evaluation questions

1. How has participation in TtW impacted human capabilities of participants?
2. What impact has TtW had on participants’ contact with the criminal justice system?
3. To what extent is TtW achieving the intended longer-term (3 to 4 year) objective of increased employment and labour market engagement and reduced dependence on income support for young people?
4. What impact did increasing the maximum duration of service from 12 to 18 months have on participant outcomes?

Key findings

• The TtW program has a positive impact on building human capabilities and increasing the wellbeing of most participants.
• TtW was shown to reduce reoffending.
• TtW was more effective than the comparison program at supporting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander participants to avoid contact with the criminal justice system.
• In the longer term (3 and 4 years from commencement in the service) participation in TtW resulted in participants achieving the same degree of employment, labour market attachment (LMA) and reduced income support reliance as the matched comparison group.
• Increasing the maximum duration of service from 12 to 18 months more than doubled the proportion of participants who remained in the program for over 12 months. Not surprisingly, extending the duration of the program led to an increase in the total number of outcomes being achieved by participants.
• While there were several limitations associated with an analysis of value for money, using values for the costs and benefits that could be monetised it was estimated that every additional dollar spent on TtW (in addition to what would have been spent on a participant if they were in jobactive) has a value of between $1 and $6 over a 12-month period.