| Summary: | <p> Since their inception in the 1960s, federally funded workforce development programs have promised a solution to unemployment, labor market skills gaps, and income inequality. However, until recently, lack of data and methodological challenges have made evaluation of these programs difficult. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor in response to the Great Recession of 2008, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program, represented a nearly $2 billion investment in community colleges and the U.S. labor force. Using third-party evaluations to provide evidence of strong outcomes for TAACCCT participants was one of its key objectives. Through a systematic review of TAACCCT third-party evaluation studies and case study analyses of two institutions, this study examined the impact of TAACCCT on participant completion, employment, and earnings and institutional capacity building during its first two funding rounds. TAACCCT enabled community colleges to invest in capacity-building activities, experiment with innovative program strategies, and strengthen and scale partnerships. It also had a positive and significant impact on participant completion and employment. Future workforce development programs should be informed by these successes. The experiences of grantees during these two rounds also offer insights into improvements for future programs. </p><p>
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