Information Technology Career Preparation for Rural Areas

ABSTRACT

One component of postsecondary education needed for economic recovery and development relates to blue-collar industries, jobs requiring some postsecondary training but less than a four-year degree. The U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program provides funding for community colleges to partner with industry to deliver to unemployed/underemployed adults the education and training needed for high-demand blue-collar jobs, with stackable credentials and certificates as the framework. This study evaluated the impact of a Round 3 TAACCCT grant funded to a seven-institution community college consortium in Florida (XCEL-IT). Using a quasi-experimental design with matched samples, XCEL-IT students were nearly eight times as likely to complete training and over five times as likely to continue enrollment in other education relative to comparison students. Non-incumbent XCEL-IT completers were more than six times as likely to enter employment. Additional findings, conclusions, and implications for practice are provided.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Labor;