Evaluation of the Parents, Childcare and Employment (PaCE) Project: impact counterfactual and value for money

Main findings

Programme engagements

• Overall, fewer people than anticipated have engaged with PaCE

Programme outcomes

• A substantially higher proportion of participants have progressed into work than anticipated.
• Almost half of participants progressing into jobs did so having been involved with PaCE for three months or less and a large majority of those entering employment did so within a year of joining the programme.
• Factors associated with individuals progressing into employment included: being out of work for shorter periods prior to joining PaCE; being better qualified; being Welsh speakers; being aged 30 to 40.  
• Factors which seemed to impact adversely upon the likelihood of participants finding work included: being from an ethnic minority community; having a work limiting health condition/disability; being a lone parent; being aged 16 to 25; being out of work for longer than five years.

Programme costs and value for money

• Overall, the anticipated cost per participant has been marginally higher than expectations and the cost per job outcome lower than the revised benchmarks to September 2021.