CETA aggregated numerous post-New Deal federal workforce training, education, private and public sector job payments to support hiring, support services, and public service employment programs which existed prior to 1973 under one program. The programs included various forms of public service employment: youth summer jobs programs, on-the-job training, emergency employment programs. Types of work varied substantially by jurisdiction, from local government service occupations (lawyers to custodians) to professions in the arts.
Expanding the social safety net and providing job-ready skills.
Mid-1970s legislation to coordinate a decentralized system of Federal, State, and local employment, training, and social service programs. Recession of 1973–1975. “It is the purpose of this Act to provide job training and employment opportunities for economically disadvantaged (unemployed, and underemployed persons, and to assure that training- and other services lead to maximum employment opportunities and enhance self-sufficiency by establishing a flexible and decentralized system of Federal, State, and local programs,” (1).
Varied by program
Varied wages depending on jurisdiction and type of work. Some programs offered transportation and other support services to support employment programs.
U.S. Federal Government
Jobs created at existing government agencies (federal, state, local county and municipality), for-profit, and not-for-profit organizations (2).
Types of work varied substantially by jurisdiction, from local government service occupations (lawyers to custodians) to arts professions.
Comprehensive legislation to aggregate existing emergency and permanent public service employment, training and education, and social services to support employment. The precursor to present-day federally-funded employment and training program infrastructure in the United States (WIOA). Phil Harvey points out the “fiscal substitution problem,” whereby when funding by one part of the government is administered by another level of government, funds are used to support existing public employment roles that would have otherwise been funded, replacing existing public employment rather than augmenting (3).
Decentralized job creation and training led to mistrust in the program. Little or no net job creation was found, and job training was not effective in creating permanent employment for participants (4).