Training That Works (PDF)

The authors provide an in-depth analysis of an incumbent worker training program funded through California's unemployment insurance taxes. The Employment Training Panel (ETP) Program, the largest such program in the nation, is somewhat novel in that it is a preventive training program that offers additional skills to the employed in the hope of preventing firms from leaving the state's economy or laying off workers. In 1998-1999, $593 million was spent on incumbent worker training programs in 45 states across the nation. These programs varied greatly in size and how they were managed. Yet, despite their number and the amount of resources spent on them, these programs have not generated much data or analysis. Moore, Blake, Phillips, and McConaughy help remedy this situation by combining a brief history of the ETP program, case studies, and quantitative analysis to evaluate the impacts of this program. In addition, they discuss and demonstrate effective evaluation methods, showing how the method they use can offer insights into the workings and impact of a variety of complex public programs and how it can generate clear public policy recommendations. The authors also provide guidance for policymakers and researchers interested in the methodological pitfalls associated with such evaluations. They conclude with a series of policy recommendations aimed at helping states maximize the impact of their investment in programs similar to California's ETP program.