Does Job Corps Work? Impact Findings from the National Job Corps Study
Peter Z. Schochet, John Burghardt, Sheena McConnell
American Economic Review · 2008 · Volume 98 · Issue 5
Abstract
This paper presents findings from an experimental evaluation of Job Corps, the nation’s largest training program for disadvantaged youths. The study uses survey data collected over four years and tax data over nine years on a nationwide sample of 15,400 treatments and controls. The Job Corps model has promise; program participation increases educational attainment, reduces criminal activity, and increases earnings for several postprogram years. Based on tax data, however, the earnings gains were not sustained except for the oldest participants. Nonetheless, Job Corps is the only federal training program that has been shown to increase earnings for this population. (JEL I28, I38, J13, J24)
Keywords
Education: Government Policy, Welfare and Poverty: Government Programs, Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs, Fertility, Family Planning, Child Care, Children, Youth, Human Capital, Skills, Occupational Choice, Labor Productivity
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