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 Maryland Tech Connection (MTC) 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 MTC 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 that MTC program participants received significantly more certificates, credentials, licenses, or degrees compared to control group participants but they earned significantly less.
- This study receives a high evidence rating for earnings and employment outcomes. This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the Maryland Tech Connection (MTC) program, and not to other factors. However, the study receives a moderate evidence rating for education and public benefits receipt. This means we are somewhat confident that estimated effects on these outcomes are attributable to the MTC program, but other factors might have also contributed.
Intervention Examined
Maryland Tech Connection (MTC) 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.
The Maryland Tech Connection (MTC) program was a collaboration of seven workforce agencies through the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization that served as the lead grantee for the RTW grant. The MTC program was implemented from May 2015 to October 2019 in 12 Maryland counties and Baltimore City and operated out of American Job Centers in the area (known as Career Centers). The MTC program aimed to provide employment to long-term unemployed and underemployed workers with a focus on jobs in advanced manufacturing, bioscience/biotechnology, cybersecurity, healthcare, and information technology. To be eligible for the MTC program, individuals had to be a resident of Maryland, have a high school diploma or GED, have education and/or experience in one of the four targets industries of the program, and have been unemployed for 27 or more consecutive weeks. The MTC program provided employment readiness courses, occupational training, work-based training, job search assistance, and financial support.
Features of the Study
The study used a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of the MTC program on earnings, employment, education, and public benefits receipt outcomes. Upon completion of a baseline survey at study enrollment, 1,029 individuals were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. Study authors assigned 540 individuals to participate in the MTC program (treatment) and 489 individuals to the control group. Treatment participants received MTC program services. Control group participants were provided with information on community services and could obtain resources from the Career Centers that were not funded by RTW, but were not actively referred to any services. The study sample were primarily women (53%), Black or African American (58%), between the ages of 45-54 years (31%), married (45%), and had a bachelor’s degree (38%). 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 that control group participants earned significantly more in average earnings ($1,281) in quarters 5 and 6 compared to MTC program participants.
Employment
- The study found no significant impact of participation in the MTC program on employment in quarters 5 or 6 after random assignment.
Education and skills gains
- The study found that significantly more MTC program participants (47%) received any type of certificate, credential, license, or degree compared to control group participants (25%).
Public benefits receipt
- The study found no significant impact of participation in the MTC 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 for these outcomes are attributable to the Maryland Tech Connection (MTC) program, and not to other factors. However, the quality of causal evidence is moderate for the education and public benefits receipt outcomes because the sample attrition 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 on these outcomes are attributable to the MTC program, but other factors might also have contributed.