There is no conflict of interest.
Citation
McDonnall, M. C., & Cmar, J. L. (2021). A mixed-methods assessment of the impact of an agency-wide business development training for rehabilitation counselors. Journal of Rehabilitation, 87(2), 52–62.
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of business development training on business development activities.
- The study was an interrupted time series design using quantitative survey data. The authors used statistical models to compare the outcomes of participants before and after they participated in the training.
- The study did not find any significant relationships between the training and participants’ business development activities.
- This study receives a low evidence rating. This means we would not be confident that any estimated effects were attributable to business development training; other factors would have likely contributed. However, the study did not find statistically significant effects.
Features of the Intervention
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) require vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies to enhance their services for employers, focusing on business development activities. A 19-hour in-person training program was conducted over three to four days, emphasizing the dual customer approach in engaging with businesses. The training aimed to empower vocational rehabilitation counselors by helping them recognize their capabilities in collaborating with businesses. The primary audience for this initiative was vocational rehabilitation counselors.
Features of the Study
The study used an interrupted time series design to examine the impact of business development training on activities related to business development. The training was implemented in four agencies for the blind across different U.S. regions. A total of 69 participants, including rehabilitation counselors and administrators, completed the training and were actively involved in business development. Data collection involved online and phone surveys conducted quarterly over 18 months, along with three comprehensive surveys administered at the study's start, midpoint, and conclusion. Program participants reported their business development activities in three categories: preparatory activities, employer contacts, and the impact of those contacts. The sample was predominantly women (77%), with over half holding a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling (52%). Experience levels varied, averaging 8.22 years in the field. The authors used statistical models to examine the outcomes of participants before and after the training.
Findings
Training
- The study did not find any significant relationships between participation in the training and business development activities.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The authors compared the outcomes of participants measured once before and once after they participated in the business development training. For these types of designs, the authors must observe outcomes for multiple periods before the intervention to rule out the possibility that participants had increasing or decreasing trends in the outcomes examined before enrollment in the program. Without knowing the trends before program enrollment, we cannot rule this out. Therefore, the study receives a low causal evidence rating.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is low because the authors did not account for trends in outcomes before the training program. This means we are not confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the business development training; other factors would have likely contributed. However, the study did not find statistically significant effects.