Job Training that Works: Findings from the Sectoral Employment Impact Study

"Public funding for employment and training has dwindled over the past several decades. Yet in communities all over the United States, there has been considerable development of alternative approaches to help low-income people gain skills for particular industry sectors. In 2003, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, P/PV launched the Sectoral Employment Impact Study to test the efficacy of one such approach. Using a random-assignment design, P/PV researchers set out to answer the question: Can well-implemented, sector-focused training programs make a difference to the earnings of low-income disadvantaged workers and job seekers?" (Abstractor: Author)

The findings from this study include: "Participants in sector-focused training programs earned significantly more than the control group members, with most of the earnings gains taking place in the second year" (p.6). "Participants in sector-focused training programs were more likely to work and, in the second year, worked more consistently than control group member" (p.7). "Employed participants had significantly higher earnings than employed control group members (p.7). By the second year, employed program participants were working more hours and were earning higher hourly wages than employed controls" (p.8). "Program participants were significantly more likely to work in jobs that offered benefits" (p.8). (Abstractor: Author)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2009
• Author(s): Maguire, Sheila; Freely, Joshua; Clymer, Carol; Conway, Maureen
• Organizational Author(s): Public/Private Ventures
• Funding Source: Public/Private Ventures
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Melissa Mack
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies