Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Juniper, C., Rodriguez, P., & Prince, H. (2022). Evaluation of Travis County investments in workforce development: 2021 update. Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources, University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of the Workforce and Education Readiness Continuum-Travis County (WERC-TC), a consortium of four workforce development service providers in Travis County, Texas, on employment, earnings, and public benefit receipt.
- Using program and state administrative data, the authors conducted a non-experimental study to compare the outcomes of WERC-TC participants to a matched comparison group.
- The study found that WERC-TC participants had significantly higher employment rates but significantly lower earnings compared to the matched comparison group.
- The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented non-experimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to WERC-TC, but other factors might also have contributed.
Intervention Examined
Workforce Education and Readiness Continuum – Travis County
Features of the Intervention
WERC-TC was a consortium of four workforce development service providers in Travis County, Texas. WERC-TC was part of the Workforce and Education Readiness Continuum (WERC), a larger network of workforce and educational service providers in the City of Austin and Travis County: WERC was a City of Austin and Travis County-funded network of community partners linked to help prepare Austin-area residents to enter or reenter today's competitive job market.
WERC-TC provided case management; Adult Basic Education, English as a Second Language; High School Equivalency Certification test preparation; job readiness instruction and job search assistance; paid internships; and assistance accessing a variety of occupational/vocational training options–such as programs leading to industry-recognized credentials and occupational certifications and licenses. All members of the WERC-TC consortium used a shared client management system to streamline and coordinate the provision of employment services to program participants. WERC-TC served Travis County residents aged over 16 with incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and who were eligible to be employed.
Features of the Study
The study used a non-experimental design with propensity score matching to examine the impact of WERC-TC on employment, earnings, and public benefit receipt. The authors used data from WERC-TC program records, UI wage and benefits claim files, The Workforce Information System of Texas (TWIST) records, and WorkInTexas (WIT) records. The treatment group included WERC-TC participants who exited the program (completed or dropped out) between FY 2016 and FY 2020. The treatment group received services from WERC-TC providers to help them prepare to enter or reenter the job market. The comparison group was drawn from TWIST records and included Travis County residents who registered to look for employment using the state’s WIT program or received job search services at local Workforce Solutions Career Center or online. The comparison group did not receive services from the WERC-TC providers. The authors formed a matched comparison group using 1:1 caliper matching with replacement. The authors used a statistical model to compare outcomes for the treatment group to the matched comparison group.
Findings
Employment
- The study found a positive statistically significant relationship between WERC-TC and employment. On average across all post-service quarters, WERC-TC participants were 2.6 percentage points more likely to be employed than the matched comparison group.
Earnings
- The study found a negative statistically significant relationship between WERC-TC and earnings. On average across all post-service quarters, WERC-TC participants earned $555 less per quarter than the matched comparison group.
Public Benefits Recipient
- The study did not find any statistically significant relationships between WERC-TC and UI benefits eligibility or UI claims filing.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented non-experimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to WERC-TC, but other factors might also have contributed.