Characteristics of Trainees and Training Programs in the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)...

“The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, administered at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), provides assistance to dislocated workers, certified as having suffered trade-related job losses.... This report, one of a series of occasional papers from the Evaluation of the TAA program, describes demographic and other characteristics of all trainees in the TAA program under the 2002 amendments, as well as information on the duration, occupational focus, costs, and providers of training and education funded by TAA. Data for the report was obtained from a 2008/2009 survey conducted with TAA participants, most of whom had lost their jobs in 2005 and 2006. There were 2,228 participants who completed interviews, of whom 65 percent pursued training. For participants in TAA-funded training programs (who comprised 46 percent of all participants and 69 percent of all trainees), the most common occupations they were preparing for were in health care support, administrative support, installation, maintenance, and repair. Community colleges were the biggest providers of both general education and occupational skills training.” (p. xiii) (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

These programs cost an average of $8,000 per participant, with a median cost of $5,923 

Full Publication Title: Characteristics of Trainees and Training Programs in the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program Under the 2002 Amendments

 

Training Status and Outcomes: "The ultimate goal of TAA-funded training is to facilitate the reemployment of trade-affected workers. At the initial survey it was too soon to determine if TAA training was achieving its objectives. Since approximately one-third of TAA-funded trainees were still enrolled in a training program at the time of the baseline survey, it was clearly too early to consider any impacts of training. Instead, we examined training outcomes in terms of completion and credential attainment for those no longer in a training program. Overall, our findings are as follows: • Approximately one-third of general education and occupational skills trainees were still in training at the time of the baseline survey • Trainees enrolled in more expensive programs were more likely to still be in training at the time of the baseline survey • Trainees in certain occupational training programs were more likely to still be in training • While a trainee’s education level was not a significant predictor of receiving a certificate from an education program, it was strongly related to receiving a certificate from an occupational skills program • More than 85 percent of training participants who completed their training program received a certificate or degree. Receiving a certificate or degree was more common for occupational skills participants (93 percent) than for general education programs (86 percent). • Age and education were both significant predictors of receiving a certificate from an occupational skills program after controlling for other factors (not shown). Among trainees who were no longer enrolled in training, younger trainees and trainees with higher levels of education were more likely to have received certificates" (p.37-38). Conclusion: • “More than 85 percent of training participants who were no longer in training had received a certificate or degree. Some evidence suggests that workers without a high school diploma faced greater challenges completing occupational skills programs, but three-quarters still received a certificate or degree. • A majority of TAA participants pursued education and training opportunities but only 46 percent of participants received TAA-funded training. • The experiences of those receiving TAA-funded training were diverse. Some participants pursued general education opportunities, while the majority completed training programs focused on specific occupational skills." (p. 43). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2013
• Author(s): Berk, Jillian
• Organizational Author(s): Mathematica Policy Research
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
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• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies