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Introduction
Based on data from the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, this analysis explores short-term training programs. It offers details on who offers such programs and in which occupations, the demographics of enrollees, and the labor force outcomes among graduates. Given the limitations of federal student data, state-specific analyses such as this provide the best assessment of short-term training programs.
Findings
- Men and women enroll in short-term training at comparable rates, but generally in different programs. Men represent over 80% of participants in truck and bus driver, skilled trades, and information technology programs. Women are overrepresented in education and health care.
- Black people are overrepresented in short-term programs. Black people account for 4.4% of Washington’s population, but they represent 8.6% of students in short-term training. The share of Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and Native American short-term training participants is within 1.5 percentage points of each group’s share of residents statewide.
- Short-term programs have higher completion rates than do longer-term ones. Across all short-term training programs, the average completion rate is 74.5%. This is notably higher than programs lasting one to two years (66.3%), and those longer than two years (65.2%).
- Programs associated with higher earnings enroll participants who have higher levels of education. For instance, nearly a quarter of participants in computer and information systems security programs, which have the highest-paid graduates, hold a bachelor’s degree.
- The typical short-term training graduate earns more than the state minimum wage, but not enough to support a family. A year after program completion, the average median hourly wage for a short-term training program graduate is $17.84. While this exceeds Washington’s minimum hourly wage of $13.50, individuals with dependents earn less than the state’s living wage.
Other states and the federal government should follow Washington’s lead. Before more public investments are made in short-term training programs, we must assess their effectiveness. We need to determine whether these programs fulfill promises to jobseekers and help to dismantle systemic inequities.