Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Haviland, S. B., Van Noy, M., Kuang, L., Vinton, J., & Pardalis, N. (2018). Evaluation of Clark State Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing to Compete in a Global Economy (AMCGE) training program final report.
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Advanced Manufacturing to Compete in a Global Economy (AMCGE) workforce training program on education outcomes.
- The authors used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of students participating in the AMCGE program to a matched comparison group using data from college administrative records.
- The study found a significant relationship between AMCGE program participation and increased number of credits earned and increased program completion rates in the first year.
- The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is low because the authors used a comparison group from a different academic program presenting a confounding factor. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the AMCGE program; other factors are likely to have contributed.
Intervention Examined
The Advanced Manufacturing to Compete in a Global Economy (AMCGE) program
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.
Clark State Community College in Ohio received a TAACCCT grant to implement the Advanced Manufacturing to Compete in a Global Economy (AMCGE) workforce training program. The AMCGE program included five certificate programs: Additive Manufacturing, Computer Numerical Control, Industrial Maintenance, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, and Welding. The certificate programs were credit-bearing and stackable and could be applied towards earning an associate’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology or Industrial Technology. As part of the grant, the program added hands-on equipment for instruction, offered a career navigator, and redesigned the manufacturing coursework.
Features of the Study
The authors used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of students in the AMCGE program to students who were not in the program. The study only included participants who were first time college students. Participants in the treatment group were enrolled in an AMCGE course or certificate program, between Fall 2015 and Fall 2017. Participants in the comparison group were enrolled in an Information Technology (IT) program at the college and started college between Fall 2013 and Fall 2017. The authors matched AMCGE participants to similar nonparticipants using propensity scores developed from demographic and education information. There were 305 students in the treatment group and 547 students in the comparison group. Using college administrative systems data and data from the state of Ohio, the authors compared outcomes between the treatment and comparison groups.
Findings
Education and skills gain
- The study found a significant positive relationship between program participation and program completion within one year, with a higher percentage of AMCGE students completing the program (6%) compared to IT students (1%). However, no significant relationship was found between program participation and program completion within two years.
- Similarly, the study found a significant positive relationship between program participation and total number of credits earned within one year, with AMCGE students earning more credits than IT students (12.43 credits versus 10.16 credits). However, no significant relationship was found in the second year.
- The study found no significant relationship between program participation and retention rates within one or two years.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Participants in the comparison group were in an IT program, whereas those in the treatment group were in the Advanced Manufacturing program. Because the two groups were enrolled in different programs, differences in outcomes could be due to varying factors in the programs of study (such as required coursework) and not the AMCGE program. Therefore, the study is not eligible for a moderate causal evidence rating, the highest rating available for nonexperimental designs.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is low because the authors used a comparison group from a different academic program presenting a confounding factor. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the AMCGE program; other factors are likely to have contributed.