ERIC Number: ED652136
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024-May
Pages: 39
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Noncredit Workforce Training, Industry Credentials, and Labor Market Outcomes. EdWorkingPaper No. 24-959
Di Xu; Kelli A. Bird; Michael Cooper; Benjamin L. Castleman
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Many public workforce training programs lead to industry-recognized, third-party awarded credentials, but little research has been conducted on the economic benefits of these credentials in the labor market. This paper provides quasi-experimental evidence on the labor market returns to industry-recognized credentials connected to community college workforce noncredit training programs. Based on novel data that includes approximately 24,000 working-age adults enrolled in noncredit workforce training programs at the Virginia Community College System, we employ a comparative individual-level fixed effects model to estimate earnings premia net of fixed attributes and earnings time-trends. Our results indicate that earning an industry-recognized credential, on average, increases quarterly earnings by approximately $1,000 and the probability of being employed by 2.4 percentage points, although there is substantial heterogeneity in economic return across different program fields. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that the earnings gains associated with the industry credential obtained through the noncredit workforce training would exceed program costs in just over half a year on average.
Descriptors: Noncredit Courses, Credentials, Outcomes of Education, Labor Market, Employment Potential, Job Training, Community College Students, Work Experience Programs, Costs, Program Evaluation, Community Colleges
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: AISR_Info@brown.edu; Web site: http://www.annenberginstitute.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Lumina Foundation; Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: 20111114811; R305A220224