Validating Performance Indicators for Employment and Training Programs

Proxies are used to indicate the impact of employment and training programs. CETA prime sponsors and the Labor Department rely on these performance indicators for fund allocations. This study correlates eight indicators with the impact on earnings of participation in four types of programs. The study shows that performance indicators presently being used, which are primarily constructed from placement data, provide no useful information for judging relative program effectiveness. Other indicators, particularly changes in weeks in the labor force, weeks employed, and wage rates, while far from perfect, are correlated much more with earnings gain.