Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant Program Evaluation

Webinars

• Building Career Pathways Programs & Systems: Insights from TAACCCT (Webinar, November 2021)

Implementation Reports
Reports that analyze the service delivery approaches developed and the systems changed through the grants based on a survey of colleges and visits to selected colleges.

• A Picture of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants: Results from a Survey of Round 4 Colleges
  (Final Report, December 2020)
• Special Topics Report (Round 4 compared to Rounds 1-3): Rural Colleges, Local Economic Recovery and Expansion, and Work-based Learning Activities
  (Topic Brief, December 2020)
• The TAACCCT Grant Program: Implementation of the Rounds 1 and 2 Grants
  (Final Report, September 2020)
• The TAACCCT Grant Program: Implementation of the Round 3 Grants 
  (Final Report, September 2020)
• Context, Infrastructure, and Alignment Matter: Statewide Systems Change in Round 4 of TAACCCT
  (Topic Brief, September 2020)
• Building Career Pathways Programs and Systems: Insights from TAACCCT Round 4
  (Topic Brief, September 2020)
• TAACCCT Goals, Design, and Evaluation
  (Early Descriptive Brief, March 2017)
• Grantee Characteristics
  (Early Descriptive Brief, March 2017)
• Approaches, Targeted Industries, and Partnerships
  (Early Descriptive Brief, March 2017)
• Early Results of the TAACCCT Grants
  (Early Descriptive Brief, March 2017)

Synthesis Reports
Reports that aim to draw a national picture of the implementation of the TAACCCT capacity-building strategies and build evidence of the effectiveness of the strategies on participants’ education and employment outcomes.

• Implementation, Outcomes, and Impact Synthesis Report: Round 4 TAACCCT Third-Party Evaluations
  (Final Report, December 2020)
• Synthesis of Findings from Rounds 1 and 2 TAACCCT Third-Party Evaluations
  (Final Report, September 2020)
• Systems Change in Community Colleges: Lessons from a Synthesis of the Round 3 TAACCCT Third-Party Evaluations
  (Final Report, September 2020)
• Synthesis of Impact Findings from Round 3 TAACCCT Third-Party Evaluations
  (Final Report, September 2020)

Outcomes Reports
Reports of nine Round 4 grantees using survey data and administrative records to better understand the characteristics of TAACCCT participants, their service receipt, and their education and employment outcomes.

• Round 4 Early Outcomes Study Report
  (Final Report, December 2020)
• Round 4 Early Outcomes Study Report
  (Appendices, December 2020)
• Grantee Profiles
  (December 2020)

Employer Perspectives
Studies of employer relationships with selected employer-partners to better understand employers’ perspectives on how to develop and maintain strong relationships with colleges.

• Employer Perspectives on Building Partnerships with Community Colleges: Lessons for Local Leaders and Practitioners from Round 4
  (Topic Brief, September 2020)
• The Employers Perspectives Study: Insights on How to Build and Maintain Strong Employer-College Partnerships
  (Final Report, November 2018)

Research Questions:

• What service delivery or system reform innovations led to improved employment outcomes and increased skills for participants? Under what conditions can these innovations be most effectively replicated? 
• What are the types of emerging ideas for service delivery change or system reform that seem the most promising for further research? Under what conditions are these ideas most effective?
• What was learned about directions for future research on the country’s public workforce system and workforce development in general?

Key Components

• An implementation analysis (Rounds 1–4) of the service delivery approaches developed and the systems changed through the grants based on a survey of colleges and visits to selected colleges 
• Syntheses of third-party evaluation findings (Rounds 1–4) to draw a national picture of the implementation of the TAACCCT capacity-building strategies and build evidence of the effectiveness of the strategies on participants’ education and employment outcomes 
• An outcomes study of nine Round 4 grantees using survey data and administrative records to better understand the characteristics of TAACCCT participants, their service receipt, and their education and employment outcomes 
• A study of employer relationships with selected Round 4 employer-partners to better understand employers’ perspectives on how to develop and maintain strong relationships with colleges
   

Select observations from implementation and outcomes reports for Round 4:

• All 71 Round 4 grantees engaged employer partners, with employer involvement ranging from employer review of curricula, to work-based learning provided at the employer site, to the design of programs and investment of funding and equipment to support programs. Most grantees (53) engaged organizations in their local public workforce system. 
• Reports commonly highlighted the career navigator/coach role as a useful innovation in promoting participant persistence and completion. Several grantees perceived that tutoring services, intrusive advising models, and financial assistance promoted participant success. 
• More than three quarters of participants were employed, generally in full-time positions with benefits, approximately 15 months after program entry. Employment rates were similar for those who finished their classes (82 percent) as for those who did not finish (78 percent). 
• The change in earnings between three quarters before program entry and five quarters after was higher for those who left their program without finishing than for those who finished their classes. 
• Participating colleges planned to sustain 88 percent of programs developed or enhanced with grant funds beyond the grant period. 

Select observations from implementation reports for Rounds 1-3:

• Most colleges targeted their services to the unemployed and underemployed workers, veterans, low-income individuals, or adults with low education levels. Over three-quarters of the colleges targeted one or more of these populations. These were groups that colleges had not targeted as often before the grant. (Rounds 1-2)  
• Simulations of work settings were common technology-enabled learning environments, especially for manufacturing and health care training programs. Some employers donated equipment to ensure that facilities provided state-of-the-art and industry-relevant instruction. (Rounds 1-2)  
• Career coaching or counseling was by far the most common support strategy for students, occurring at 70 percent of colleges, based on the survey. Of the 14 colleges visited, nearly all also included career navigators as a key component of their project designs; this was a service that was valued by the participants. (Rounds 1-2)  
• Colleges faced several common barriers to recruiting and enrolling participants, such as conflicts with work and school hours (60 percent), finding eligible participants (49 percent), and insufficient basic skill levels of applicants (43 percent). (Round 3)
• Many colleges developed new strategies to accelerate learning: stackable or latticed credentials (84 percent); industry-recognized credentials (65 percent), and new career pathway programs (58 percent). (Round 3)

Select observations from synthesis reports for Rounds 1-3:

• Nearly half the colleges designed and implemented online courses, and 62 percent designed and implemented hybrid courses to increase access to and accelerate completion of training. Colleges had to carefully consider the challenges adult learners faced in accessing online or hybrid learning, such as a lack of a computer. Some colleges had to address the concerns of faculty and staff who were resistant to online learning. (Rounds 1-2) These were similar to Round 3 findings as well.
• Nearly all grantees engaged employers on advisory boards, asking them to provide feedback on labor market needs and partner surveys. Grantees also engaged employers by requesting their feedback via a partner survey or needs assessment to collect information on required skills, industry trends, and their experience partnering with grantees. (Systems Change, Round 3)
• Synthesis findings suggest that a career pathways model that combines accelerated learning strategies, persistence and completion strategies, and connections to employment strategies results in consistently positive educational impacts and mixed employment impacts. (Impacts Finding, Round 3)
   

Implementation Reports:

Final Report

Trutko, J., Trutko, A., Eyster, L., Sick, N., O’Brien, C., Smith, A. (2020). Abt Associates. A Picture of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants: Results from a Survey of the Round 4 Colleges. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Brief

Smith, A., Turnham, J., Williams, J., Gardiner, K., Adams, T. (2020). A Picture of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants: Special Topics Findings from the College Surveys. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Final Report

Eyster, L., Hafford, C., Trutko, J., Cohen, E., Mikelson, K., Durham, C., O’Brien, C., Martin-Caughey, A., Briggs, A., Nguyen, K. (2019). Urban Institute. The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program: Implementation of the Rounds 1 and 2 Grants. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Final Report

Eyster, L., Mikelson, K., Hafford, C., Trutko, J., Durham, C., O’Brien, C., Matin-Caughey, A., Briggs, A., Trutko, A., Nguyen, K. (2020). Urban Institute. Implementation of the Round 3 Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grants. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Brief

Betesh, H., Smith, A., Gardiner, K. (2020). Abt Associates. Context, Infrastructure, and Alignment Matter: Statewide Systems Change in Round 4 of TAACCCT. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Brief

Strawn, J., Smith, A., Gardiner, K. (2020). Abt Associates. Building Career Pathways and Systems: Insights from TAACCCT Round 4. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Brief

Mikelson, K.S., Eyster, L., Durham, C., Cohen. (2017). Urban Institute. TAACCCT Goals, Design, and Evaluation: The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program Brief 1. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Brief

Cohen, E, Mikelson, K.S., Durham, C., Ester, L. (2017). Urban Institute. TAACCCT Grantee Characteristics: The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program Brief 2. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Brief

Eyster, L., Cohen, E., Mikelson, K.S., Durham, C. (2017). Urban Institute. TAACCCT Approaches, Targeted Industries and Partnerships: The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program Brief 3. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Brief

Durham, C., Eyster, L., Mikelson, K.S., Cohen, E. (2017). Urban Institute. Early Results of the TAACCCT Grants: The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program Brief 4. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Synthesis Reports:

Final Report

Scott, M.M., Kuehn, D., Eyster, L., Briggs, A., Durham, C., Spievack, N., Simon, A., Barnow, B. (2020). Abt Associates. Implementation, Outcomes, and Impact Synthesis Report: Round 4 TAACCCT Third-Party Evaluations. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Final Report

Eyster, L. (2019). Urban Institute. A Synthesis of Findings from the Rounds 1 and 2 Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Third-Party Evaluations. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Final Report

Eyster, L., Briggs, A., Durham, C., Hafford, C., Spievack, N. (2020). Urban Institute. Systems Change in Community Colleges: Lessons from a Synthesis of the Round 3 TAACCCT Third-Party Evaluation Findings. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Final Report

Kuehn, D., Eyster, L. (2020). Urban Institute. A Synthesis of Impact Findings from the Round 3 Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Third-Party Evaluations. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Outcomes Reports:

Final Report

Judkins, D., Gardiner, K., Smith, A., Walton, D. (2020). Abt Associates. Trade Adjustment Community College and Career Training Grant Program: Round 4 Early Outcomes Study Report. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Appendices

Walton, D., Judkins, D., Kolenikov, S., Schalk, M., Smith, A. (2020). Abt Associates. Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program: Round 4 Early Outcomes Study Report - Technical Appendices. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Report

Turnham, J., Smith, A., Hyra, A., Gardiner, K. (2020). Abt Associates. Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training Grant Program: Round 4 Early Outcomes Study Report Volume 2 Grantee Profiles. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Employer Perspectives:

Brief

Eyster, L., Scott, M., Anderson, T. (2020). Abt Associates and Urban Institute. Employer Perspectives on Building Partnerships with Community Colleges: Lesson for Local Leaders and Practitioners. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Final Report

Scott, M., Eyster, L., Su, Y., Blount, D., Trutko, A., Smith, A., Gardiner, K. (2018). Abt Associates and Urban Institute. The Employer Perspectives Study: Insights on How to Build and Maintain Strong Employer-College Partnerships. Round 4 TAACCCT Evaluation. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.