Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Harpole, S. (2017). Final evaluation Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project. SHH Consulting, LLC
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project on education, earnings, and employment outcomes.
- The author used a nonexperimental design to compare outcomes of Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project participants to a matched comparison group.
- The study found that program participation was significantly associated with increases in program retention, credential attainment, and earnings.
- The quality of causal evidence presented in this study is low because the author used a comparison group from previous enrollment years presenting a confounding factor. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project; other factors are likely to have contributed.
Intervention Examined
The Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project
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.
East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) received a TAACCCT grant to implement the Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project. Based on the model from the 2012 Missouri Manufacturing Workforce Innovation Networks TAACCCT project, the Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project aimed to prepare adult students for careers in advanced manufacturing. Features included building programs that meet industry needs, enhancing career pathway options for learners and workers, accelerating and improving certification and employment attainment, and strengthening online and technology-enabled learning. The project added three credential- and craft-based technician programs, created a new career and technical education (CTE) developmental program, and engaged local manufacturers and workforce partners in these programs’ design and curriculum to concurrently meet industry demands and the needs of the target population, including veterans, TAA-eligible workers, and other unemployed or unskilled adults. These enhanced programs helped fill gaps in existing education and career training programs and relied on incorporating the National Association of Manufactures (NAM) endorsed credentials. More specifically, the project modernized EMCC's manufacturing-related CTE programs by stacking industry-recognized credentials into six CTE programs, having CTE instructors leveraging advanced technology, prioritizing soft skill development in their instruction delivery, and requiring all program participants to complete a Silver Career Readiness Certificate (CRC).
Features of the Study
The study used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of students who participated in the Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project to those who did not. The comparison group included first-time students who were enrolled in comparable CTE programs offered at EMCC prior to October 2013. The author matched Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing participants to similar nonparticipants using propensity scores developed from demographic, economic, and program-based characteristics. Study participants included 373 students in the treatment group and 548 in the comparison group. Student program performance and baseline data was provided and collected from October 2013 to September 2016 for the treatment group and from October 2009 to September 2013 for the comparison group. Using performance and baseline data, the author conducted statistical models to examine differences in outcomes. The outcomes included program credential completion and retention, enrollment in further education, employment of non-incumbent workers, job retention, and increase in wages for incumbent workers.
Findings
Education and skills gain
- The study found that participation in the Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project was significantly associated with increased program retention, with higher rates of program retention among participating students (85%) compared to students in the comparison group (54%).
- The study also found that Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing students were significantly more likely to attain a credential (90%) when compared to students in the comparison group (46%).
- The study did not find a significant relationship between participation in the Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project and further education in a non-TAACCCT funded program of study.
Earnings and wages
- The study found that Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing students were significantly more likely to have an earnings increase after program completion (21%) when compared to students in the comparison group (20%).
Employment
- The study did not find a significant relationship between enrollment in the Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project and the employment rate one quarter after program exit or the job retention rate two quarters after program exit.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Though baseline equivalency was achieved between the two research groups prior to the program intervention, there was a confounding factor present in this study. Given that the author used a cohort from previous enrollment years as the comparison group, differences in outcomes could be due to time-varying factors (such as overall changes at the community college or local labor market changes) and not the 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 study is low because the author used a comparison group from previous enrollment years presenting a confounding factor. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to Golden Triangle Modern Manufacturing Project; other factors are likely to have contributed.