Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the net impact of 12 workforce development programs in Washington state on employment, earnings, and public benefits receipt outcomes. This profile focuses on the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) program. The author investigated similar research questions for the net impact of other programs, the profiles can be found here:
- WIA/WIOA Adult Program
- WIA/WIOA Dislocated Worker Program
- WIA/WIOA Youth Program
- Professional-Technical Education Programs
- Worker Retraining Program
- Basic Education for Adults Programs
- Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) Programs
- Private Career School Programs
- Registered Apprenticeships
- Aerospace Training Programs
- WorkFirst Program
- The study used a difference-in-differences design with a matched comparison group. Using administrative data, the author conducted statistical models to compare the outcomes of the program participants and the comparison group members one and three years after program exit.
- The study found that DVR program participants were significantly more likely to be employed, have higher earnings, and earn more in public benefits than comparison group members.
- This study receives a moderate evidence rating. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) program, but other factors might also have contributed.
Intervention Examined
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Program
Features of the Intervention
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) program within the Department of Social and Health Services is a workforce development program that provides supports and services to help individuals with disabilities attain employment. Services are tailored to the needs of the individual and can include assessments, counseling, vocational and academic training, physical and mental restoration services, assistive technology, services for independent living, services for mobility, transportation, communication services, job search, and job placement.
Features of the Study
The study used a difference-in-differences design to examine the impact of the DVR program in Washington state on employment, earnings, and public benefits receipt outcomes. The author matched DVR program participants to similar nonparticipants using propensity scores developed from socio-demographic information. The comparison group members included individuals who registered to use Washington’s WorkSource employment centers and online job-search portals as part of the Wagner-Peyser federal program, but did not participate in the DVR program. The study sample included two cohorts. The 2014-2015 cohort included 6,710 individuals (4,347 intervention and 2,363 comparison) and was predominantly male (55%), White (71%), with an average age of 38. The 2016-2017 cohort included 6,933 individuals (4,616 intervention and 2,317 comparison) and was predominantly male (56%), White (70%), with an average age of 38.
The primary data sources were administrative data from the DVR Program and Washington's WorkSource employment centers and online job-search portals. The author conducted statistical models to examine differences in outcomes between the intervention and comparison groups at one year and three years after program exit. Outcomes included employment rate, quarterly hours worked, hourly wage, quarterly earnings, and quarterly Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits received.
Findings
Employment
- The study found that DVR program participants had significantly higher employment rates than comparison group members one year after program exit, but found no significant differences three years after exit. The program participants also had significantly more quarterly hours worked at both one year and three years after program exit.
Earnings and wages
- The study found that DVR program participants had significantly higher hourly wages and higher quarterly earnings than comparison group members at both one year and three years after program exit.
Public benefits receipt
- The study found that DVR program participants received significantly more in quarterly UI benefits than comparison group members at both one year and three years after program exit.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The study reports a less stringent statistical significance level, considering p-values of less than 0.10 to be significant, though it is standard practice to consider statistical significance if the p-value is less than 0.05. Only results that demonstrate a p-value of less than 0.05 are considered statistically significant in this profile.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to DVR Program, but other factors might also have contributed.