Study Details | Pathways to Work

26712.01-Study of Partners fo

Study quality:

Moderate

Reason for the rating: This study received a moderate study quality rating because it is a quasi-experimental design that establishes that the intervention and comparison groups are similar at baseline and adjusts impact estimates to account for any minor differences in the groups.

Intervention: Partners for a Competitive Workforce: Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati

Population and employment barriers:

Educational attainment (At least a high school diploma or equivalent), Employment status (Unemployed)

Services provided:

Basic skills/bridge programs, Financial education, Job placement, Job readiness, Job search assistance, Occupational or sectoral training, Soft skills training

Setting: Tested in multiple settings

Study design

Design:

Quasi-experimental design

Study group formation:

Job seekers interested in health care careers were referred to the program through community-based organizations, partnership service providers, and employers of entry-level workers who were interested in mid-level careers. Participants enrolled from January 2010 to February 2012. Workers who were employed at enrollment were excluded from the study. Using propensity score matching, evaluators found a comparison group of similar unemployed workers who were located in the same area and pursued state employment and training services during the same period. Job seekers in the two study conditions were matched on individual characteristics and employment history. The program enrolled 992 unemployed participants, and 46,701 comparison group members were selected as matches out of 55,754 possible comparison group members.

Time period of study:

Participants enrolled from January 2010 to February 2012. Their outcomes were analyzed through the end of 2012.

Primary outcome domains examined:

Increase short-term earnings, Increase short-term employment

Other outcome domains examined:

None

Study funded by:

A National Fund for Workforce Solutions grant from the Social Innovation Fund funded the study.

Results

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Outcome domain	Measure	Timing	Study quality by finding	Comparison group mean	Intervention group mean	Impact	Units	Sample size
Increase short-term earnings	Quarterly earnings	Six quarters	Moderate	2,113.00	3,217.00	1,104.00	2013 dollars	34,291
Increase short-term employment	Employed for four consecutive quarters	Quarters 1–4	Moderate	27.30	42.60	15.30	percentage points	47,693
Increase short-term employment	Ever employed, quarterly	Six quarters	Moderate	48.60	62.80	14.20	percentage points	34,291

Short-term outcomes are those measured 18 months or fewer after participants are first offered services. Long-term outcomes are those measured between 18 months and 5 years after participants are first offered services. Very long-term outcomes are those measured 5 years or more after participants are first offered services.

Findings quality key:

High
Moderate

Study quality terms?

The findings quality describe our confidence that a given study’s finding is because of the intervention. We do not display findings that rate low.

Findings key:

A moderate-to-large favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large favorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that might be due to chance
A favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A favorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that might be due to chance
An unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
An unfavorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size or direction
A finding of no effect that might be due to chance

Favorable findings are impacts in a direction that is socially desirable. Statistical significance indicates the likelihood that a study finding is due to the intervention, rather than due to chance. Findings are described as moderate-to-large if the intervention produced a sufficiently large change in the outcome. An impact receives this designation if the standardized effect size is equal to or greater than 0.25 or equal to or less than -0.25.

Sample characteristics

The majority of participants in the study were female (90 percent) and had a high school diploma or a GED (92 percent), with about one third (31 percent) younger than age 25 and one third (34 percent) between age 25 and 34. About half of the participants were White, non Hispanic, and 40 percent were Black. At the time of program entry, all participants were unemployed.

Age

Young adults	31%
Adults (age 25+)	69%
Older adults (age 50+)	6%

Sex

Female	90%
Male	10%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	40%
White	50%
Unknown, not reported, or other	11%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

Participant employment and public benefit status

Were unemployed

100%

Participant education

Had some postsecondary education	54%
Had a high school diploma or GED	92%
Did not have a high school diploma or GED	8%
Postsecondary credential	8%

Intervention implementation

Implementing organization:

Partners for a Competitive Workforce collaborative, a regional partnership of Workforce Investment Boards, employers, community colleges, and service providers, including the Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Great Oaks Institute of Technology, and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Greater Cincinnati.

Program history:

The program was established in 2003.

Intervention services:

Unemployed workers interested in health care careers such as nursing, allied health, rehabilitation, health information technology, or biotechnology worked with an advisor and could receive a variety of trainings and services based on their employment goals. The program offered training focused on soft skills and financial literacy, as well as job search assistance, referrals to partner employers, and work-readiness activities including resume preparation. Participants could also receive assistance obtaining a National Career Readiness Certificate and enrolling in courses to receive their GED to prepare for postsecondary education. The program developed health care–related training credentials with employers to develop participants' skills and knowledge. Employers provided participants with tuition reimbursement or prepaid tuition for participation in these training programs.

Mandatory services:

None

Comparison services:

Unemployed workers in the comparison group could receive state employment and training services from the Ohio employment exchange agency.

Service receipt duration:

The study does not specify the duration of service receipt.

Intervention funding:

The program was funded through a National Fund for Workforce Solutions grant from the Social Innovation Fund in addition to sources including the U.S. Department of Labor and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Study publications

Michaelides, Marios, Peter Mueser, Scott Davis, and Kassim Mbwana (2016). Quasi-Experimental Impact Study of NFWS/SIF Workforce Partnership Programs: Evidence on the Effectiveness of Workforce Partnership Programs in Ohio and Wisconsin. Columbia, MD: IMPAQ International, LLC. Available at https://americorps.gov/sites/default/files/evidenceexchange/JFF_Final%20Report_3.10.17_1.pdf.

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The Pathways Clearinghouse refers to interventions by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some intervention names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.

Study of Partners for a Competitive Workforce: Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati