In May 2017, the Chief Evaluation Office partnered with the Employment and Training Administration and funded the America’s Promise Job-Driven Grant Program Evaluation. The impact evaluation aims to evaluate the impact of America’s Promise programs on the earnings and employment of participants. 

The America’s Promise Job-Driven Grant Program was designed to develop and expand regional partnerships among employers, economic development agencies, workforce investment systems, and education and training providers to build a pipeline of skilled American workers in high-demand industries experiencing domestic labor shortages. Grantees, through the support of their established partnerships, offered tuition-free education and job training to workers that addressed the immediate needs of the regional labor market. Education and job training were offered in the form of classroom training and work-based learning opportunities, in addition to supports such as case management, job placement services, and necessary wraparound supportive services. The program awarded more than $111 million in four-year grants to 23 grantees and enrolled participants from 2016 to 2021.

Key takeaways for the Outcomes Study include:
• Most participants received at least one credential through the America’s Promise program (75 percent) and completed their training program (80 percent).
• The employment rate and quarterly earnings across all participants increased immediately after enrollment. Increases were statistically significant.
• Employment and earnings trajectories after enrollment varied across participants based on when they entered the program, likely associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Key takeaways from the Impact Study include:
• Compared to Wagner-Peyser participants with similar demographics and earnings history, participants in America’s Promise had a 6-percentage point higher employment rate in the fourth quarter after program enrollment and a 4-percentage point higher employment rate in the eighth quarter after enrollment, both statistically significant.
• Relative to the same group of Wagner-Peyser participants, participants in America’s Promise had $2,697 higher total earnings in the second year after program enrollment. This effect was statistically significant.
• The effects of America’s Promise participation varied by participant and program characteristics. Notably, impact estimates were larger for white participants than Black or Hispanic participants, a difference which was statistically significant.