This study was conducted by staff from Abt Associates, which administers CLEAR. The review of this study was conducted by ICF Incorporated, which also administers CLEAR and is trained in applying the CLEAR causal evidence guidelines.
Citation
Hamadyk, J., & Juras, R. (2021). Des Moines Area Community Colleges' Workforce Training Academy Connect Program: Three- Year Impact Report (Report No. 2021-98). Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Des Moines Area Community College Workforce Training Academy (WTA) Connect Program on average quarterly earnings.
- The study used a randomized controlled trial to assign participants to the WTA Connect treatment group or a control group. The primary data source was the National Directory of New Hires and study authors used a statistical model to compare the outcomes between the treatment and control groups.
- The study found no significant differences in average quarterly earnings between the treatment and control groups for quarters 12 and 13.
- This study receives a high evidence rating. This means we are confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the Workforce Training Academy (WTA) Connect Program, and not to other factors. However, the study did not find any statistically significant effects.
Intervention Examined
Workforce Training Academy Connect (WTAC)
Features of the Intervention
The Des Moines Workforce Training Academy (WTA) Connect Program was one of nine programs within the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) project. It operated from 2012 to 2015, aimed at quickly improving the basic skills of low-skilled adults and bypassing testing requirements to assist participants in enrolling in the Des Moines Area Community College WTA. Eligibility for the WTA Connect Program required participants to have math and reading levels between sixth and eighth grade and a family income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. Participants were not required to have graduated from high school or possess a GED.
Upon enrollment, the WTA Connect Program provided basic skills training to improve participants' math and reading abilities to a ninth-grade level. Once participants reached this level, they could enroll in occupational certificate training courses in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, or administrative support. These training courses ranged from two and a half weeks to 16 weeks in duration. All participants received support from an achievement coach to identify and address barriers to training participation, financial assistance for classes, and employment support services.
Features of the Study
The study was a randomized controlled trial conducted in Des Moines, Iowa. Of the 943 participants who enrolled in the study, 470 were randomly assigned to the treatment group and 473 were assigned to the control group. Most study participants were female (62.6%), Black non-Hispanic (47.4%), had less than a high school diploma (40.1%), earned $15,000 or less (56%), and were 35 years or older (41.6%). Participants in the treatment group received trainings and services from the WTA Connect Program. The control group did not have access to WTA Connect Program training and services, but they could still attend training from the community and Des Moines Area Community College, which were not affiliated with WTA Connect. The primary data source was the National Directory of New Hires which supplied data on average quarterly earnings two years before randomization through the end of the study. The authors used a statistical model to compare the outcomes between the treatment and control groups.
Findings
Earnings and wages
- The study found no significant differences between the treatment and control groups in average quarterly earnings in quarters 12 and 13.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is high because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we are confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to Workforce Training Academy Connect. However, the study did not find any statistically significant effects.