Implementation Evaluation of the Community-Based Job Training Grant (CBJTG) Program

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Implementation Evaluation of the Community-Based Job Training Grant (CBJTG) Program

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2013-18

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In an increasingly global and competitive economy, many workers in the United States seek to gain new skills or upgrade their current ones if they are to be successful in the labor market. At the same time, businesses, especially those in high-growth industries, face challenges recruiting, hiring, and retaining a skilled workforce. Community and technical colleges are important training providers, uniquely positioned to develop a skilled local or regional labor force, but they often lack the capacity to respond to the needs of local industry. The Community-Based Job Training Grant (CBJTG) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA), was intended to address a critical capacity shortage at community and technical colleges to train workers for high-growth occupations to help strengthen an industry’s regional competitiveness. ETA provided CBJTG funding for 279 initiatives in 49 states between 2005 and 2009, through four rounds of competitive funding; between 68 and 72 grants were awarded per year. This implementation evaluation of these various CBJTG initiatives draws on the data collected through a survey of individuals at grant organizations and institutions, a review of grant documents, and site visits to 11 grant initiatives at eight grant locations. This final report provides a comprehensive picture of the different CBJTG-funded initiatives gathered through those multiple data sources and discusses innovations developed, implementation successes and challenges, and trends and patterns across projects.