4.4 Assessment

A comprehensive, individualized participant assessment is used to identify the strengths, needs, and preferences of each FSET participant. Information gathered through the assessment process is the driving force behind the development of an employment plan (EP). Assessment results may also reveal the need for FSET supportive services or for a referral to another service provider to address participant needs that are outside the scope of FSET.

Individualized assessments may include, but are not limited to, identifying job readiness, level of job seeking skills, and other potential barriers to employment such as housing, transportation, family, or legal issues. The assessment process includes gathering past and current information from the participant or other relevant sources, either through informal or formal assessment. Assessment is not a one-time process that the FSET worker completes just after FSET enrollment. Instead, assessment and re-assessment are ongoing FSET processes. Once the initial EP is developed, re-assessment of participant progress in employment and training activities is needed to determine if any additional support, changes to the EP, or changes to assigned activities are needed. Follow-up assessment may indicate if current activities or support should be increased, decreased, or eliminated.

Primary areas of assessment include past and present information about the following:

Barriers Assessment: Collect information regarding barriers to employment in five categories: work participation, housing, transportation, legal issues, and job readiness.
Education Assessment: Collect and document the participant’s educational level and training information and relevant test scores. Achievement on educational test scores (e.g. TABE, WRAT, etc.) and certificate/degree completion should be tracked and updated upon reassessment, as necessary.
Employment Assessment: Collect type(s) of employment for an individual or document if there is no employment history.

FSET agencies are encouraged to develop their own assessment tools or may use existing assessment tools for conducting a comprehensive, individualized assessment inclusive of information beyond what is described above, in order to fully support participants’ attainment of the knowledge and skills necessary to enhance employment opportunities.

This page last updated in Release Number: 15-01

Release Date: 02/26/15

Effective Date: 02/26/15