This study was conducted by staff from Abt Associates, which co-administers CLEAR. The review of this study was conducted by ICF, which co-administers CLEAR and is trained in applying the CLEAR causal evidence guidelines.
Citation
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Ready to Work (RTW) Partnership Grant Program on earnings, employment, education, and public benefits receipt outcomes. This profile focuses on the Finger Lakes Hired (FLH) program. The authors investigated similar research questions for other sites, the profiles can be found here:
- The study used a randomized controlled trial to assign participants to the FLH program or the control group. The primary data sources were an 18-month follow-up survey and the National Directory of New Hires. The authors used statistical models to compare outcomes between treatment and control group participants.
- The study found no statistically significant effects of the Finger Lakes Hired program on earnings, employment, education, and public benefits receipt outcomes.
- This study receives a high evidence rating for the earnings and employment outcomes. This means we are confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the Finger Lakes Hired (FLH) program and not to other factors. This study receives a moderate evidence rating for the education and public benefits receipt outcomes. This means we are somewhat confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the FLH program, but other factors might also have contributed. However, the study did not find any statistically significant effects.
Intervention Examined
Finger Lakes Hired (FLH) Program
Features of the Intervention
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor funded the Ready to Work (RTW) Partnership Grant Program that provided $180 million in grants to deliver customized employment services to long-term unemployed workers (those who have been out of work for at least 27 consecutive weeks). RTW focused on employment preparation for high-growth industries and occupations, particularly those being filled by H1-B foreign workers.
One RTW grantee was RochesterWorks!, a Workforce Investment Board for Monroe County in New York state. The grantee implemented the Finger Lakes Hired (FLH) program from January 2015 to June 2019. The FLH program operated out of three Career Centers in Monroe County and provided employment readiness courses, occupational training, and worked-based training to help individuals find employment in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology. To be eligible for the FLH program, individuals had to be unemployed for 27 consecutive weeks, have a high school degree or GED, and have an interest in seeking employment from one of the three targeted industries of the program.
Features of the Study
The study used a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of the FLH program on earnings, employment, education, and public benefits receipt outcomes. Upon completion of a baseline survey at study enrollment, 610 individuals were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. Study authors assigned 307 individuals to participate in the FLH program (treatment) and 303 individuals to the control group. Treatment participants received FLH program services. Control group participants were referred to the Career Center to meet with staff to discuss job search processes, participate in non-RTW funded workshops, and complete employment-related assessments. The study sample were primarily women (55%), White (61%), age 55 or older (31%), and had a bachelor’s degree (31%). Data sources included an 18-month follow-up survey and the National Directory of New Hires. The authors used statistical models to compare outcomes between treatment and control group participants.
Findings
Earnings and wages
- The study found no significant impact of participation in the FLH program on average earnings in quarters 5 and 6 after random assignment.
Employment
- The study found no significant impact of participation in the FLH program on employment in quarters 5 or 6 after random assignment.
Education and skills gains
- The study found no significant impact of participation in the FLH program on receipt of any certificate, credential, license, or degree.
Public benefits receipt
- The study found no significant impact of participation in the FLH program on any type of public benefits receipt.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Although the study design was a randomized controlled trial, the study had high attrition for the education and public benefits receipt outcomes. However, study authors accounted for differences between the groups before program participation. Therefore, the study receives a moderate causal evidence rating for these outcomes.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this study is high for the earnings and employment outcomes because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we are confident that the estimated effects would be attributable to the Finger Lakes Hired (FLH) program, and not to other factors. For the education and public benefits receipt outcomes, the quality of causal evidence is moderate because the sample attrition for these outcomes was high, but the authors ensured that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects would be attributable to the FLH program, but other factors might have also contributed. However, the study did not find any statistically significant effects.