Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the TechHire Partnership Grants (TechHire) and the Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI) on employment, earnings, and completion of training.
- The study used a randomized controlled trial to assign participants to the TechHire/SWFI group or the control group. The primary data sources include 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 individuals participating in TechHire/SWFI completed significantly more occupational skills trainings compared to individuals in the control group.
- This study receives a high evidence rating. This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to TechHire/SWFI, and not to other factors.
Intervention Examined
TechHire/Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI)
Features of the Intervention
TechHire Partnership Grants (TechHire) and Strengthening Working Families Initiative (SWFI) were created to reduce the need for employers to hire temporary workers outside the United States through the H-1B visa program. TechHire and SWFI funded local organizations to provide accessible training, supports, and nontraditional hiring to unemployed and underemployed U.S. workers who had barriers to training and to create a pipeline for workers to fill tech jobs that employ a large number of H-1B workers. Additionally, SWFI provided childcare services to program participants. TechHire targeted individuals aged 17-29 years who were out of school; unemployed, underemployed, and incumbent workers aged 30 and above; and individuals who had a disability, low English proficiency, and criminal records as a barrier to employment. SWFI targeted parents with low income whose primary barrier to participating and completing education and skills training was access to childcare.
Features of the Study
The study used a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of TechHire/SWFI on employment, earnings, and completion of occupational skills training. After completing a baseline survey, individuals were randomly assigned to study groups following the randomization probability that was agreed upon at each TechHire/SWFI site. Of the 952 eligible participants, 518 were randomly assigned to receive program services from TechHire/SWFI and 434 were randomly assigned to the control group. Control group participants received training and services that were offered in the community but were not funded by federal, state, or local grants affiliated with TechHire/SWFI. Over half of the analysis sample were female (60%) and had at least some college or higher (63%), over one-third were African American (39%), less than a quarter identified as Hispanic (24%), and the average age was 29 years. The primary data sources were the Wave 2 survey and the National Directory of New Hires. The Wave 2 survey was administered 18 months after randomization but was most commonly completed 20 months after randomization. The authors compared the pooled outcomes of individuals who participated in either TechHire or SWFI to a control group using statistical models.
Study Sites
- East Coast Florida (TechHire)
- New York City (TechHire)
- Tampa, FL (TechHire)
- Denver, CO (SWFI)
- Vermont (SWFI)
Findings
Earnings and wages
- The study did not find any significant differences in average earnings between individuals participating in TechHire/SWFI and individuals in the control group.
Employment
- The study did not find any significant differences in employment between individuals participating in TechHire/SWFI and individuals in the control group.
Training
- The study found that significantly more individuals participating in TechHire/SWFI (42.7%) completed occupational skills training compared to individuals in the control group (21.4%).
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Although the study was a randomized controlled trial, the probability of assignment into the treatment or control groups varied over time. The probability of randomization into the treatment and control group at the New York City site was originally 50/50; however, during study enrollment the probability changed to 66/33. The study authors accounted for the change in their statistical models. Therefore, the study is still eligible for a high causal evidence rating. Additionally, study authors noted that individuals who completed the Wave 2 survey were significantly more likely to have at least a college degree and a language other than English was the primary language spoken at home.
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 the estimated effects are attributable to TechHire/SWFI, and not to other factors.