Each year, millions of Americans participate in federally funded job readiness training (JRT) programs in the hopes of obtaining employment. Though participants in such programs are often connected to employment, long-term employment and wage growth are less common.

Many workforce development professionals have begun incorporating techniques common in psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other clinical approaches in efforts to help their clients overcome non-cognitive barriers to obtaining and retaining employment. The Transforming Impossible into Possible (TIP) model was designed by the Chicago Jobs Council (CJC) and Dr. Philip Hong at Loyola University to assist job seekers with developing self-awareness, confidence, hope, goal-orientation, leadership, accountability, conscientiousness, and grit. With support from the CJC, Central States SER, the Centers for New Horizons, and the Safer Foundation, the Inclusive Economy Lab is conducting a randomized controlled trial to assess whether the TIP curriculum is more effective at delivering long-term employment and higher wages when compared to traditional job readiness programming