This research was conducted by Dr. Arthur Langer, Senior Director of the Center of Technology, Innovation, and Community Engagement at Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and founder of WOS. Dr. Langer's research has identified low-income adult IT learner's training and employment trajectories are fraught with financial, social, psychological obstacles that precipitate classroom absenteeism, low morale, frustration in new job settings, and ultimately career failure. WOS works to help students surpass these deterrents, using reflection-with-action teaching methods that encourage them to record their learning experiences in journal form as well as to discuss their concerns with personal mentors.

These methods enable learners to think retrospectively about their past experiences and responses, as well as about what to do in the future. The charting of their sentiments, experiences, and understandings on a developmental model that assesses progress through stages of cognitive, intellectual, and psychological growth in the learning process allows WOS to closely monitor trainee's successes as well as needs.

WOS operates on the premise that guiding ICT trainees during their first employment experiences in the private sector best prepares them for job competition and mobility upon leaving training. This model has now been proven through two successful pilot implementations.

The first program involved bringing trainees through the course of study at Columbia University, in partnership with the Borough of Manhattan Community College in 2003-04. Following adjustments in the design, a pilot program was launched in September 2005 and has resulted in a dozen participants completing their first term of training, and are preparing to be employed as ICT support personnel by WOS.