Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Price, D., Valentine, J., Sedlak, W., & Roberts, B. (2018). Advancing Careers and Training (ACT) for Healthcare in Wisconsin. Retrieved from: http://support.skillscommons.org/showcases/outcomes/healthcare/act/
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to assess the impact of the Advancing Careers and Training for Healthcare (ACT for Healthcare) program on education, earnings, and employment outcomes.
- Using college administrative data and state unemployment insurance data, the authors conducted a nonexperimental study to compare the outcomes of students who were in the ACT for Healthcare program to a matched comparison group.
- The study found that a significantly larger proportion of students in the ACT for Healthcare treatment group earned a credential, stayed in their institution after one semester, and stayed in their institution after one year, relative to the comparison group. In addition, a significantly larger proportion of students in the treatment group gained employment and increased their wages, relative to the comparison group.
- The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the ACT for Healthcare program, but other factors might also have contributed.
Intervention Examined
The Advancing Careers and Training for Healthcare (ACT for Healthcare)
Features of the Intervention
The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program provided $1.9 billion in grants to community colleges to improve skills and support employment in high-demand industries, notably manufacturing, health care, information technology, energy, and transportation. Through four rounds of funding, DOL awarded 256 TAACCCT grants to approximately 800 educational institutions across the United States and its territories.
A TAACCCT grant funded the Advancing Careers and Training for Healthcare (ACT for Healthcare), a program at 14 colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). This system had previously received two TAACCCT grants to offer training in manufacturing and cybersecurity. In the currently funded program, the colleges created new and modified healthcare programs to better prepare students for healthcare careers and address local employers’ need for trained healthcare workers. The courses provided simulated learning environments to help students practice their skills. The program also provided flexibility to students in offering multiple course times and locations, and offering some online courses. In the program, students could receive academic support, career support, and other types of support, such as case management.
Features of the Study
The study used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of students who were enrolled in the ACT for Healthcare program to students who were not in the program. The treatment group included students who were enrolled in the ACT for Healthcare program from Fall 2014 to Spring 2018. The comparison group included students in a healthcare program at the WTCS colleges during the same time period as the treatment group, but who did not receive grant-funded services. The authors matched ACT for Healthcare participants to similar nonparticipants using propensity scores developed from demographic, academic, employment, and earnings information. Study participants included 2,289 students in the treatment group and 2,289 in the comparison group. Using college administrative and state unemployment insurance data, the authors compared the differences in outcomes between the treatment and comparison groups. Outcomes included credential attainment, within-institution retention, earnings gains, and employment.
Findings
Education and skills gain
- The study found that when compared to students in the comparison group, a significantly larger proportion of students in the treatment group earned a credential (23 more percentage points), stayed in the institution after one semester (8 more percentage points), and stayed in the institution after one year (7 more percentage points).
Earnings and wages
- The study found that a significantly larger proportion of students in the treatment group increased their wages than students in the comparison group (6 more percentage points).
Employment
- The study found that a significantly larger proportion of students in the treatment group gained employment than students in the comparison group (8 more percentage points).
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Although the authors used a well-implemented nonexperimental design, treatment group participants self-selected into the program. Students who self-selected into the program could differ in observable and unobservable ways, affecting the observed outcomes.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the ACT for Healthcare program, but other factors might also have contributed.