This study was conducted by staff from Abt Associates, which co-administers CLEAR. The review of this study was conducted by ICF, which co-administers CLEAR and is trained in applying the CLEAR causal evidence guidelines.
Citation
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Ready to Work (RTW) Partnership Grant Program on earnings, employment, education, and public benefits receipt outcomes. This profile focuses on the Reboot Northwest (NW) program. The authors investigated similar research questions for other sites, the profiles can be found here:
- The study used a randomized controlled trial to assign participants to the Reboot NW program or the control group. The primary data sources were an 18-month follow-up survey and the National Directory of New Hires. The authors used statistical models to compare outcomes between treatment and control group participants.
- The study found that Reboot NW program participants received significantly more certificates, credentials, licenses, or degrees compared to control group participants.
- This study receives a high evidence rating for the earnings and employment outcomes. This means we are confident that the estimated effects would be attributable to Reboot Northwest (NW), and not to other factors. However, the study did not find any statistically significant effects for these outcomes. The study receives a moderate evidence rating for the education and public benefits receipt outcomes. This means we are somewhat confident that estimated effects on these outcomes are attributable to Reboot NW, but other factors might have also contributed.
Intervention Examined
Reboot Northwest (NW) program
Features of the Intervention
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor funded the Ready to Work (RTW) Partnership Grant Program that provided $180 million in grants to deliver customized employment services to long-term unemployed workers (those who have been out of work for at least 27 consecutive weeks). RTW focused on employment preparation for high-growth industries and occupations, particularly those being filled by H1-B foreign workers.
The Reboot Northwest (NW) program was a collaboration of three Workforce Investment Boards in Oregon and Washington; Worksystems Inc. served as the lead grantee for the RTW grant. The grantee implemented the Reboot NW program from April 2015 to June 2019 out of eight American Job Centers (referred to as WorkSource centers). The program targeted underemployed workers, long-term unemployed workers, and veterans or eligible spouses of veterans with the goal of finding jobs in advanced manufacturing, information technology, and software development industries. The Reboot NW program provided employment readiness courses, occupational training, work-based training, job search assistance, and financial supports. To be eligible to participate, individuals had to be 18 years or older, legally allowed to work in the United States, have a high school diploma or GED, and have an interest or experience in working in advanced manufacturing, information technology, or software development.
Features of the Study
The study used a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of the Reboot NW program on earnings, employment, education, and public benefits receipt outcomes. Upon completion of a baseline survey at study enrollment, 980 individuals were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. Study authors assigned 493 individuals to participate in the Reboot NW program (treatment) and 487 individuals to the control group. Treatment participants received Reboot NW program services. Control group participants were provided with a list of community resources at the WorkSource center that were not funded by the RTW grant, but were not actively referred to any programs. The study sample were primarily men (76%), White (77%), 45 to 54 years of age (26%), and had a bachelor’s degree (37%). Data sources included an 18-month follow-up survey and the National Directory of New Hires. The authors used statistical models to compare outcomes between treatment and control group participants.
Study Sites
- Clackamas County, Oregon
- Multnomah County, Oregon
- Washington County, Oregon
- Clark County, Washington
- Cowlitz County, Washington
- Wahkiakum County, Washington
Findings
Earnings and wages
- The study found no significant impact of participation in the Reboot NW program on average earnings in quarters 5 and 6 after random assignment.
Employment
- The study found no significant impact of participation in the Reboot NW program on employment in quarters 5 or 6 after random assignment.
Education and skills gains
- The study found that significantly more Reboot NW program participants (54%) received any type of certificate, credential, license, or degree compared to control group participants (40%).
Public benefits receipt
- The study found no significant impact of participation in the Reboot NW program on any type of public benefits receipt.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Although the study design was a randomized controlled trial, the study had high attrition for the education and public benefits receipt outcomes. However, study authors accounted for differences between the groups before program participation. Therefore, the study receives a moderate causal evidence rating for these outcomes.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this study is high for the earnings and employment outcomes because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we are confident that the estimated effects would be attributable to the Reboot Northwest (NW) program, and not to other factors. However, the authors did not find any statistically significant effects for these outcomes. For the education and public benefits receipt outcomes, the quality of causal evidence is moderate because the sample attrition was high, but the authors ensured that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects on these outcomes are attributable to the Reboot NW program, but other factors might have also contributed.