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Phyllis Cummins, ABD Miami University Scripps gerontology center

CREDENTIAL ATTAINMENT AND OUTCOMES FOR OLDER WORKERS PARTICIPATING IN WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT PROGRAMS: THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES. Phyllis Cummins, ABD Miami University Scripps gerontology center National Council For Workforce education October 21, 2012 Long beach, california.

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Phyllis Cummins, ABD Miami University Scripps gerontology center

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  1. CREDENTIAL ATTAINMENT AND OUTCOMES FOR OLDER WORKERS PARTICIPATING IN WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT PROGRAMS: THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES Phyllis Cummins, ABD Miami University Scripps gerontology center National Council For Workforce education October 21, 2012 Long beach, california

  2. Presentation Overview Purpose and significance of research Overview of research process Quantitative research Qualitative research Summary and future research Questions

  3. Purpose of Research Identify strategies that will allow workers to remain in the workforce at older ages; specifically: Identify characteristics of effective community college involvement in workforce training Examine the relationship between the category of credential attained (or not attained) through participation in WIA Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs and program outcomes

  4. Significance of Research In September 2012, the average duration of unemployment for workers 55 and above was 55.7 weeks By 2020, over 25% of workers will be 55 and above The labor force participation rate for older workers is increasing Skills mismatch for jobs in demand Financial security in retirement Increased focus on credential attainment Sources: BLS (2012); Toossi (2012)

  5. Source: Frey (2010)

  6. Theoretical Framework • Human Capital • Lifelong Learning • Cumulative Advantage/Disadvantage • Persistence

  7. Research Questions • Quantitative For workers aged 55 through 74 participating in WIA Adult or Dislocated Worker Programs, what is the relationship between the type of credential attained and: • Employment in the 1st and 4th quarters following program exit? • Wages in the 1st and 4th quarters following program exit? • Qualitative What are the characteristics of effective community college involvement in workforce training for older workers?

  8. Mixed Methods Research Process • Simultaneous Qualitative & Quantitative Analyses • Quantitative: Analysis of WIASRD data to evaluate outcomes for older workers in Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs • Qualitative: Site visits/interviews with key informants in educational programs for older students at community colleges Quantitative Analysis QualitativeAnalysis IRB Exemption (1/23/12) • Identify variables of interest • Analyze demographic characteristics and potential biases/other anomalies • Clean data/recode variables • Create model • Develop interview guide • Identify key informants (modified Delphi method) • Conduct interviews/site visits • Constant and comparative analysis

  9. Quantitative Research

  10. Workforce Investment Act Programs • Dislocated Workerand Adult Worker Programs • National data • Ages 55 – 74 focus of analyses • Median age 58 • Almost 90% of program participants under age 62 • Participated in program between April 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 • Included only unemployed workers • Stata 12 used for statistical analyses

  11. Dislocated Worker Program Participants Proportions by Credential Attained

  12. Dislocated Worker Program Participants Proportions by Preprogram Education

  13. Dislocated Workers: Credential Attainment, Wages, and Employment* Robust standard errors in parentheses; *** p<0.001, ** p<0.01, * p<0.05 * Results are preliminary and not for citation

  14. Qualitative Research

  15. Participating Community Colleges Ann Arundel Community College (Maryland) Clover Park Technical College (Washington) Grand Rapids Community College (Michigan) Harper Community College (Illinois) Ivey Tech Community College (Indiana) Joliet Junior College (Illinois) Kapiolani Community College (Hawaii) Lorain County Community College (Ohio) Macomb Community College (Michigan) Moraine Valley Community College (Illinois) Portland Community College (Oregon) Owens Community College (Ohio) Owensboro Community College (Kentucky) Sinclair Community College (Ohio)

  16. Pathways to Success in Community College Education and Training for Unemployed Workers Unemployed Worker Community College

  17. Overview • Displaced workers often “want what was” • Interview findings categorized as: • Outreach programs • Career counseling • Persistence • Job placement • Continuing education

  18. Outreach Programs Reach out sooner rather than later Workshops, job fairs and career expositions Relationships with OneStops, downsizing companies, and state and local governmental agencies Realistic view of skills, the job market, and how skills match those required for jobs in demand Tools to assist in financial planning Outreach to unemployed workers with more education AACC’s Plus 50 Initiative

  19. Career Counseling Early advice on career opportunities likely to result in employment Assess transferable skills; match with career opportunities Consider occupations more likely to hire older workers Don’t assume older students are only interested in short-term training programs – consider career pathways

  20. Career Counseling

  21. Persistence • Students “don’t do optional” • Orientation • Student success courses • Developmental education • Cohort and mentoring programs • Support services • Financial aid • Pursue grant opportunities

  22. Job Placement Older workers need help in navigating the system Soft skills are important to employers Internships Employer relationships Track outcomes

  23. Continuing Education • Lifelong learning should be encouraged “The agenda for lifelong learning encourages education for citizenship (political), seeks for wider participation (social), and emphasizes the importance for learning for economic prosperity (vocational) while recognizing the importance of individual choices and personal development (liberal)…[it] serves to reject the school and post-school division to endorse learning across the lifespan, a learning which is worthwhile to the individual citizen and, therefore to the society of which she is a part” (Field & Leicester, 2000, p. xvii). • Incumbent worker training • Lifelong learning accounts

  24. Limitations Quantitative research is based on administrative data rather than experimental Potential biases No information on program costs Additional variables would have been useful Issues with missing data Inability to include all key informants Budget limitations prevented additional site visits

  25. Summary Attaining a credential significantly improves the likelihood of finding new employment but is generally not significantly related to wages in new employment Additional interventions may be needed for workers as their age increases Training should be started sooner rather than later following displacement Grant funding is important to create new and innovative programs that might improve student success

  26. Summary Commitment from top college administrators is important to success of programs for older students Strong relationships between WIA OneStops and Community Colleges are important Older workers face unique challenges in navigating systems for job search and re-training Career selection is an important first step for unemployed older workers Lifelong learning and continuing education will be the rule rather than the exception

  27. Suggestions for Future Research Use WIA administrative data to examine more current outcomes for older workers Evaluate the role Individual Training Accounts play in outcomes for older workers Focus on outcomes by gender and race/ethnicity Examine more specifically (qualitatively) efforts to enroll older unemployed workers in training programs soon after displacement

  28. References and Resources Field, J., & Leicester, M. (2000). Lifelong learning or permanent schooling? In J. Field & M. Leicester (Eds.), Lifelong learning: Education across the lifespan (pp. xvi-xix). London: RoutledgeFalmer. Frey, W.H. (2011) The uneven aging and ‘younging’ of America: State and metropolitan trends in the 2010 census. Washington: Brookings. Sipprelle, S. M., & Newman, S. D. (2012). Set for life. Tree of Life Productions. Toossi, M. (2012). Labor force projections to 2020: A more slowly growing workforce. Monthly Labor Review, 135(1), 43-64. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (2012). Labor statistics from the Current Population Survey. http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-the-numbers/baby-boomers-population-map.html

  29. Questions?

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