Evaluation of the Cascades Job Corps College and Career Academy CCCA Pilot

The evaluation of CCAA, which operated at the former Job Corps Center in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, addressed four research questions:

1. How was the CCCA model implemented?
2. How do students flow through and experience the CCCA model?
3. How did receipt of training and services for eligible applicants offered CCCA differ from what their experiences would have been in the absence of CCCA?
4. How did outcomes for eligible applicants offered CCCA differ from what their experiences would have been in the absence of CCCA?

To address these research questions, the evaluators conducted the following activities: qualitative field research, a Baseline Information Form, and an 18-months follow-up survey. In addition, the evaluation drew on existing administrative data from the National Office of Job Corps, the National Student Clearinghouse, and the National Directory of New Hires. Except for the survey, all data covered the entire pilot sample (enrolled between March 2017 and June 2019). The analysis focused on the survey sample (enrolled between November 2017 to December 2018) who both experienced a relatively mature program and for whom there was a longer follow-up.

The evaluation had an experimental design. Which eligible applicants were offered CCCA and which were not offered enrollment in CCCA was determined randomly—that is, by the functional equivalent of a coin toss. The random assignment only determined who was offered CCCA. Most of those offered CCCA (the “treatment” group) arrived at the Cascades Job Corps Center; a few arrived at some other Job Corps Center, and some never arrived at any center. Those not offered CCCA were encouraged to enroll in some other Job Corps Center—some did; most did not.

The CCCA pilot was to be a proof of concept for a college-focused version of Job Corps. Like the conventional Job Corps model, the vision was for a residential program that took care of students’ basic needs allowing them to focus on their education and training.

Entry was to be limited to those most likely to enroll in college courses while in Job Corps—defined as having achieved at least an eighth-grade equivalent in math and reading skills prior to enrollment. As needed, students were to complete high school while in the pilot, either a diploma or a GED—primarily at the CCCA site—and then other instruction was to occur at a partner community college.

(This report is 53 pages in length and was published in 2021.)

The researchers identified the following findings:

• The National Office of Job Corps and the organization operating CCAA succeeded in implementing most of the program vision. Over the pilot’s three-year term, the program matured. By the end, most—but not all—of the components were in place.
• The pilot revealed substantial demand for a college-focused Job Corps model. The pilot vision assumes that a sizable number of students are eligible for Job Corps, interested in a college-focused program, and meet the test score requirements.
• Much of the demand for a college-focused Job Corps model is from students who would not otherwise be interested in Job Corps. The estimates suggest that offering a college-focused Job Corps program to everyone interested would increase total onboard strength (i.e., students in Job Corps Centers) by about 19%.
• Recruited Job Corps students can succeed in college—with crucial caveats. After some time in the center, students shifted, and it did not go as smoothly or as soon after their arrival at CCCA as had been implicit in the vision.
• There are no short-term impacts of the offer of CCCA on the attainment of college credentials or degrees.
• Short-term impacts of the offer of CCCA on earnings are strongly negative, as expected in early follow-up.
• CCCA’s results should be interpreted with nuance as the evaluation was not able to test a college-focused Job Corps program fully.

The researchers identified the following recommendations:

• Long-term follow-up of the CCCA sample. An administrative data follow-up of the CCCA sample could provide some insights into the longer-term impact of the pilot on college and earnings.
• A rigorous, multi-site, random assignment, scale-up evaluation of a refined residential, college-focused Job Corps model would provide additional evidence in various settings.

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2021
• Author(s): Klerman, J.; Saunders, C.; Herr, J.; Sousa, T.; Grossman, J.; Olejniczak, K.; Ibok, A.
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies