Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of the National Career Coach Program (NCCP) on employment, earnings and wages, and health and safety for transitioning veterans.
- The study was a randomized controlled trial that compared the outcomes of transitioning veterans who participated in an intensive employment program, the NCCP, to a control group of transitioning veterans who had access to standard employment services. The authors collected self-reported data on employment, earnings and wages, and health and safety, through telephone interviews conducted every four months for two years. The authors used a statistical model to compare the outcomes of treatment and control group members.
- The study found a positive statistically significant relationship between NCCP participation and monthly earnings and employment in the two-year follow-up period.
- This study receives a high evidence rating. This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the National Career Coach Program (NCCP), and not to other factors.
Intervention Examined
National Career Coach Program (NCCP)
Features of the Intervention
The National Career Coach Program (NCCP) aims to address the multi-faceted employment challenges faced by military personnel transitioning from military jobs to civilian employment. The NCCP includes a four-day in-person employment skills seminar, followed by up to 18 months of job coaching, a human capital fund to cover job-related expenses, and opportunities for participants to earn bonuses for employment. Each participant is assigned an individual mentor or coach for the skills seminar and job coaching.
Features of the Study
The study used a randomized controlled trial design to examine the impact of an intensive employment program, NCCP, on employment, earnings and wages, and health and safety. Study participants were recruited from enlisted individuals seeking employment who were transitioning from at least 6 months of active military service, had an Honorable or General discharge, were under the age of 45, were within 6 months before separation (without civilian employment) or 12 months after separation (unemployed or working in short-term stopgap jobs), and receiving or applying for a service-connected disability rating from the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA).
After recruitment through letters, social media, online sources, and word of mouth, prospective respondents were screened for eligibility. Eligible individuals were prompted to send their contact information to the research team, resulting in 229 participants in the study. Of these 229 participants, 115 were assigned to the NCCP treatment group. The control group consisted of 114 participants who could access standard employment services, also called Local Community Resources (LCR). LCR provided information to three local service providers offering job training, financial assistance, paid work experiences, and rehabilitation services.
The authors collected data through telephone interviews conducted every four months for two years. The authors used the Dartmouth Vocational Update Form to measure employment and earnings. They measured self-reported health using the 5-item Satisfaction with Life scale, the 12-item Veterans Rand‑12 assessment of health, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire9 depression checklist, the 8-item InCharge Financial Distress Financial Wellbeing checklist, and measures of substance use. The authors used a statistical model to compare the outcomes of treatment and control group members.
Findings
Employment
- The study found that the treatment group had higher employment rates than the control group (95% vs. 83%).
Wages and Earnings
- The study found that the treatment group earned $703 more per month than those in the control group over the two-year follow-up period.
Health and Safety
- The study suggested that the treatment group had greater improvements in physical and mental health than the control group.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The authors provide initial randomization sample sizes as well as analytical sample sizes for all outcome variables, providing information to determine differential attrition. Differential attrition for several outcomes was high, including all outcomes in the health and safety domain.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is high because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the National Career Coach Program (NCCP), and not to other factors.