Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Flannery, K. B., Yovanoff, P., Benz, M. R., & Kato, M. M. (2008). Improving employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities through short-term postsecondary training. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 31(1), 26-36.
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of an occupational skills training program on employment and earnings outcomes.
- The study used statistical methods to compare the outcomes of people who successfully completed the occupational skills training program with the outcomes of a comparison group of people who dropped out of the program during the same period. The authors used data from the Oregon State Employment Division, the Oregon Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and a database housed at the occupational skills training site.
- The study found that participants who successfully completed the occupational skills training program had a higher employment rate, worked more hours, and had higher earnings than those who dropped out of the program.
- The quality of causal evidence provided in this study is low because the authors did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention.
Intervention Examined
The occupational skills training program
Features of the Intervention
The occupational skills training program for people with disabilities included an individualized training plan based on each participant’s career goals, related training on an actual work site, and—in many cases—related college coursework. Recipients were supported by program staff who assisted with training placement, provided work-based training, and monitored participants’ progress. The program staff included faculty from one community college in Oregon, staff at the employment site, and vocational rehabilitation counselors or specialists.
Features of the Study
The authors used statistical methods to compare the employment and earnings outcomes of recipients of an occupational training skills program.
Findings
Employment
- The study found that participants who successfully completed the occupational skills training program had a higher employment rate and worked more hours than those who dropped out of the program. Program participants had a higher percentage of quarters with earnings than comparison group members in the year following the program.
Earnings and Wages
- The study found that participants who successfully completed the occupational skills training program had higher hourly wages in the first year following the program than those who dropped out of the program.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The authors did not account for existing differences between the groups before participation in the occupational skills training program. These existing differences between the groups—and not the occupational skills training program—could explain the observed differences in outcomes.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence provided in this study is low because the authors did not ensure that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to occupational skills training; other factors are likely to have contributed.