Project QUEST is a job training program that started in San Antonio, Texas in 1993

&nb= sp;

Post-Exit Labor Market= and

Higher Education Achievements

Of Persons Served Unde= r:

Project QUEST Inc.

(Quality Employment Through Skills Training)

Labor Market and Career Information

Texas Workforce Commis= sion

April 2004<= /span>

Executive Summary

&nb= sp;

Project QUEST (Quality Employment Through Skills Train= ing) Inc. is an award-winning job-training program in San Antonio, Texas. Project Quest serves as a model for local workforce development efforts by its innovative partnership with busi= ness and community-based organizations and has been replicated in four cities to date.

Since its inception, Project Quest has served 2,412 low-income, unemployed or welfare-dependent residents of San Antonio. Of these, 1,268 graduated (52.6%),= 1,087 did not graduate (45.1%) and 37 (1.5%) were provided basic readjustment services. This study excluded= 153 records from analysis because the participants were either deceased or they received basic readjustment services only, outside of the mission of Project Quest.

Project QUEST uses a sectored employment strategy clos= ely tied to the Alamo Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) targeted occupat= ions list. Eight of the top ten la= rgest occupational clusters in the Project QUEST inventory are on the FY 2003-targeted occupations list for Alamo LWDB. Congruency between the Alamo LWDB targeted list and Project QUESTs occupational cluster inventory is highly likely a contributing factor in the high rates of employment and earnings of former program participants.

Of the 2,259 participants included in the study, 1,816 (80.4%) were located by linking the records to the Unemployment Insurance w= age records, public higher education enrollment records in fall 2002, Departmen= t of Human Services public assistance records, and Texas Bureau of Vital Statist= ics. Over 69 percent (1,568) were found working only. Another 8.7 percent (197) were wor= king and going to school and over 2 percent (51) were found going to school only= .

Over three quarters (78%) of the graduates were found employed in 4^th Qtr. 2002 with average quarterly earnings of $5,756. Almost 60 percent of non-graduates were found employed in 4^th Qtr. 2002 with average quarterly earnings of $2,872.

There was a dramatic reduction in public assistance am= ong Project QUEST participants. O= f the 180 graduates who were receiving TANF prior to Project QUEST, only 24 (13.3= %) were on TANF in FY 2003. Of t= he 442 graduates receiving Food Stamps prior to Project QUEST, only 148 (33.5%) we= re receiving Food Stamps in FY 2003. Only 52 (25.6%) of the 203 non-graduates receiving TANF prior to Pro= ject QUEST were still receiving TANF after exit. Of the 456 non-graduates receiving= Food Stamp prior to Project Quest, 307 were receiving Food Stamp after exit (67.= 3%).

Clearly, this job-training model, which focuses on a specific segment of the population to achieve maximum impact, has demonstra= ted positive, quantifiable and verifiable results. A large majority of participants completing their programs of study have achieved labor market attachment characterized by high employment rates, high earnings gains and high employ= ment persistence over time.

Project QUEST Inc.

Project QUEST (Quality Employment Through Skills Train= ing) Inc. is a job-training program that started in San Antonio, Texas in 1992.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Since then, Project QUEST Inc. has served as a model for local workforce development efforts by its innovative partnership with business and community-based organizations, and has been replicated in four cities to date. <= /span>

Project QUEST Inc., targets San Antonio residents who = would otherwise be unemployed and/or receiving public assistance. By doing this, Project QUEST Inc. demonstrates the economic, as well as social, benefits obtained through investments of long-term training for local residents (Project QUEST Inc.). In this manner, Project QUEST Inc. positively impacts not only local residents who are able to gain employment in a job that offers a living wage and career advancement, but a= lso the city of San Antonio. Proj= ect QUEST helps the city of San Antonio fill job openings in many higher-skilled jobs, while providing the opportunity for these employees to earn higher wa= ges and eventual homeownership contributing to the city’s tax base.

Project QUEST Inc. uses sectored employment strategies= . That is, they target occupations wi= thin a sub-sector of the economy, they seek to become recognized within that sub-sector, they intervene on behalf of low-income workers to connect them = to better jobs, and they involve employers and industry leaders. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundatio= n (CS Mott Foundation), a private philanthropy out of Flint, Michigan has provided grants to Project QUEST in support this strategy.

Project QUEST Inc. focuses on training in healthcare, information technology & business services, and installation, maintenan= ce & repair. Project QUEST I= nc., participants earn either a certificate or an associate’s degree in on= e of these career clusters. For ex= ample, in healthcare, a participant may pursue a degree as a dental hygienist, a r= egistered nurse, a medical laboratory technician, or a radiography technologist. In information technology & business, participants may earn a degree in accounting, computer aided drafting, computer networking administration, or computer programming. In installation, maintenance & repair, participants may earn a certificate or degree as an aircraft power plant mechanic, automobile collision repair technician, communications equipment technology, or air conditioning, heating & refrigeration. One thing all of these career clus= ters have in common is that they are in demand and they offer living wages.

Project QUEST Inc. has been very successful. In 2003, Project Quest was recogni= zed by the J.P. Morgan Chase Enterprise Foundation with the “Award for Excel= lence in Workforce Development.” The Mott Foundation funded a study by the Aspen Institute that documented a $21,440 increase in annual earnings of Project QUEST Inc., graduates (CS Mott Foundation), and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study found that Project QUEST Inc., participants wages increased bet= ween 23 percent and 40 percent an hour after graduating (Smith, Wittner, Spence & Kleunen, 2002). Additio= nally, The Workforce Alliance reviewed literature that showed that skills training= does increase earnings, once occupational and skills training are separated from other forms of education such as literacy or General Educational Development (GED) classes. Similar findin= gs have been documented in other job training programs using sectored employme= nt strategies. Finally, the Work= force Alliance report and other studies point out that the most successful welfare-to-work programs have been “mixed” strategies which make substantial use of education and training despite their “employment focus.”

In addition to increasing participants’ wages, job-training programs can improve access to jobs with employer-paid benefit= s, another important component of self-sufficiency (Smith, Wittner, Spence &am= p; Kleunen, 2002). Benefits help employees stay employed longer because they do not need to leave a job to access public benefits in an emergency.&nb= sp; This differs from work-first programs where participants tend to cyc= le in and out of employment.

The Labor Market and Career Information department (LM= CI) is following-up a Project QUEST Inc. cohort to further document the achievemen= ts of participants who receive occupational or skills-based education and training. It is commonly docu= mented that those with higher levels of education enjoy higher median earnings. Because education and training pro= grams are more expensive than work-first programs (which focus on participants getting a job, any job, as quickly as possible to accelerate their labor fo= rce attachment), it is important to separate occupational or skills-based educa= tion and training from other types of education and training.

Occupational or skills-based education and training is= an integral component of successful strategies to help low-income adults become self-sufficient. Occupational= or skills-based training is important because it provides an opportunity for low-income adults to enter jobs with wages and benefits that can support= a family. There is a great distinction between employment and employment that allows an individual to = be self-sufficient. The goal of Project QUEST, Inc., is to provide low-income adults the opportunity to dev= elop occupational skills that can help them land a skilled position (Smith, Witt= ner, Spence & Kleunen, 2002). =

Methodology

Project QUEST contracted with the Texas Workforce Commission’s Labor Market and Career Information (LMCI) department to help document post-exit labor market and postsecondary education outcomes of their former program participants. LMCI’s Texas Automated Student and Adult Learner Follow-Up Sys= tem (ASALFS) provides follow-up services to publicly funded programs to help document the achievements of former program participants and provide data f= or program planning and continuous improvement.

LMCI received a total of 2,412 unduplicated records (s= eed records) of Project QUEST participants from 1993 to 2002. An analysis of the records show (T= able 1) that fifty three percent (53 percent) of participants received occupatio= nal training and graduated, and forty five percent (45 percent) did not graduat= e. The remaining two percent did not receive any training but were provided job search services only that are classified as Basic Readjustment Services (BRS). BRS services included resu= me writing, job search, interview skills, job retention skills, etc. BRS services are considered outsid= e of the primary mission of Project QUEST. Project QUEST staff have req= uested these records be excluded from analysis.&n= bsp; Cells with less than 5 participants are shown with “n/a”= to protect the confidentiality of the individuals.

Table 1.= Seed records by Exit Year and Comp= letion Status

&nb= sp;

Year o= f Exit	Exiter= s	Comple= tion Status
Occupa= tional Training Graduate	Non-Gr= aduate	BRS On= ly (No Tr= aining)
N=	%=	N=	%=	N=	%=
1993	52	1	1.9%	51	98.1%	0	0
1994	209	50	23.9%	158	75.6%	n/a	0.5%
1995	392	232	59.2%	160	40.8%	n/a	0.0%
1996	149	99	66.4%	49	32.9%	n/a	0.7%
1997	220	141	64.1%	75	34.1%	n/a	1.8%
1998	202	129	63.9%	72	35.6%	n/a	0.5%
1999	325	160	49.2%	161	49.5%	n/a	1.2%
2000	228	125	54.8%	95	41.7%	8	3.5%
2001	342	157	45.9%	167	48.8%	18	5.3%
2002	293	182	62.1%	111	37.9%	n/a	0.0%
Total	2,412	1,276	52.9 %	1,099	45.6%	37	1.5 %

n/a denotes a cel= l size less than 5.

Table 2 shows the fields of study of Project QUEST participants by 2-digit Classification of Instructional Program (CIP). The CIP taxonomy is used nationall= y to support the accurate tracking, assessment, and reporting of fields of study= and program completions activity (NCES, 2002).= The 2-digit level is the highest and most general grouping of related programs and was used in this table to provide a summary look at the fields= of study undertaken by Project QUEST participants.

Health Professions and Related Sciences, and Business Management and Administrative Sciences were the most popular fields of study. Of the largest career cluster supported by Project QUEST, students in Health Professions and Rela= ted Sciences received the largest average financial investment at $10,148. Participants in Agriculture Business and Production show a higher level of investment, however, due to = the small number of students in this career cluster, caution must be used in interpreting these data.

Table 2 shows that graduation rates varied by field of= study with about two thirds (67%) of students enrolling in the Health Professions= and Related Sciences graduating from their programs while under half (48 percen= t) of those in Business Management and Administrative Sciences were graduates. Students enrolling= in Science Technologies had the lowest completion rate at fourteen percent (14= percent). A little over half (53 percent) of= all Project QUEST participants to date graduated from their programs of study successfully.

There were 109 participant records that did not contai= n a valid CIP code. These are lab= eled “Other Fields” in Table. 2.&nb= sp; According to Project QUEST staff, these participants were served out= side of their primary mission and should be excluded from the study. These records will also be exclude= d from any computations of performance in the results section of the report (see T= able 5 for a list of records excluded). <= /span>

Table 2. Seed records by 2-digit Classification of Instructional Program Code by Completi= on Status and Average Dollars Invested per Student Enrolled

Field of Study=	N	Graduate	Non-Graduate	BRS Only	Avg. Amount Invested[1]
	n	%	n	%	n	%	$
HE= ALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED SCIENCES=	1,189	796	66.9%	393	33.1%	0	0.0%	$10,148
BU= SINESS MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES=	346	165	47.7%	181	52.3%	0	0.0%	$7,675
BA= SIC SKILLS	204	0	0.0%	179	87.7%	25	12.3%	$3,019
CO= MPUTER AND INFORMATION SERVICES	186	54	29.0%	131	70.4%	n/a	0.5%	$8,714
ME= CHANICS AND REPAIRERS	139	102	73.4%	37	26.6%	0	0.0%	$7,534
OT= HER FIELDS	109	51	46.8%	48	44.0%	10	9.2%	$4,144
EN= GINEERING RELATED TECHNOLOGIES	98	37	37.8%	60	61.2%	n/a	1.0%	$8,883
CO= NSTRUCTION TRADES	55	30	54.5%	25	45.5%	0	0.0%	$3,838
TR= ANSPORTATION AND MATERIAL MOVING WORKERS	27	22	81.5%	5	18.5%	0	0.0%	$2,887
SC= IENCE TECHNOLOGIES	22	n/a	13.6%	19	86.4%	0	0.0%	$8,184
HO= ME ECONOMICS	16	6	37.5%	10	62.5%	0	0.0%	$9,581
PU= BLIC ADMINISTRATION SERVICES	10	5	50.0%	5	50.0%	0	0.0%	$5,651
LA= W AND LEGAL STUDIES	5	n/a	40.0%	n/a	60.0%	0	0.0%	$2,370
PR= OTECTIVE SERVICES	n/a	n/a	50.0%	n/a	50.0%	0	0.0%	$5,628
AG= RICULTURE BUSINESS AND PRODUCTION	n/a	n/a	100.0%	n/a	0.0%	0	0.0%	$11,786
VI= SUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS	n/a	n/a	0.0%	n/a	100.0%	0	0.0%	$5,922
Total	2,412	1,276	52.9%	1,099	45.6%	37	1.5%	$8,316

n/a denotes= a cell size less than 5.

LMCI linked all seed records to UI wage records to det= ermine post-exit labor market achievements. Attachment 2 shows a breakdown of seed records by quarter/year of exit. Regardless of the quarter/year of exit, the first UI wage record snapshot is always the second quarter (Q+2) after exit to establish the baseline data. Focusing on the second quarter aft= er exit to determine the post-exit employment measure also provides the former participant enough time to find a job.&nbs= p; Subsequent snapshots are taken one year, three years and 5 years aft= er exit to determine the long terms effects of education and training.

Please use the following definitions in reading the subsequent tables:

Q-1 =3D pre-Project QUEST UI quarter

Q+2 =3D second full quarter post-exit, baseline measure

Q+4 =3D one year after exit

Q+6 =3D eighteen months after exit

Not all exiters had UI wage records available for a longitudinal study. This was particularly obvious for the most recent Project QUEST exiters. Grayed-out cells in Attachment 2 indicate that UI wage records for those quarters were not yet available at = the time of this study. The UI wa= ge records were unavailable as a result of the lag time between the submission= of wage records by employers and the time it takes TWC to validate the data and certify the records.

Participants (N=3D2,119) who exited from 1993 to 2001 = had data for the entire longitudinal study period (Q-1, Q+2, Q+4, Q+6). Participants (N=3D2,252) who exited from 2001 to 2002 had data for three time periods (Q= -1, Q+2,Q+4). The most recent coh= ort from 2002 had data for computing baseline employment rate only (Q-1, Q+2).<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Attachment 2 shows the UI wage rec= ord quarters that were used for linkages to determine pre- and post-exit employ= ment data.

According to Project QUEST records, 383 (15.9 percent) participants were receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) a= nd 898 (37.2 percent) were receiving Food Stamps prior to participating in the program. LMCI linked the seed records to TANF and Food Stamp records for calendar year 2003 to determine changes in public assistance receipt rates as a result of Project QUEST participation. The results of= these linkages are depicted in Table 3 below. There were dramatic reductio= ns in public assistance participation among Project QUEST participants post-exit. The reductions are= more pronounced for participants who completed their programs of study.

Table 3. Results of Record Linkages with TWC TANF and Food Stamp Records in FY 2003

Public Assistance Program &= nbsp; Numerator:= Grad=3D1,276 Non-Grad/BRS=3D1,136<= /span>	Pre-Tr= aining	Post-E= xit FY 200= 3
Gradua= te	Non-Gr= aduate	Gradua= te	Non-Gr= aduate
N=	%=	N=	%=	N=	%=	N=	%=
TANF	180	14.1	203	17.9	24	1.9	52	4.6
Food Stamp	442	34.6	456	40.1	148	11.6	307	27.0

Seed records also were linked to Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics (TBVS) to determine if any former participant is deceased. LMCI staff had access to TBVS reco= rds from 2000-2002 only. It is po= ssible that some of these former participants may have died prior to 2000 and may = not be documented in this section of the report. The records of former participants= found deceased were excluded from any further analysis. Table 4 shows the results of these linkages.

Table 4. Results of Record Linkages with TBVS Database

Calend= ar Year	Number= Deceased
2002	9
2001	8
2000	na
1993 R= 11; 1999	Not Avail= able
Total	20

&nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; na denotes a cell size less th= an 5.

Seed records also were linked to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) public postsecondary master enrollment (ME) reco= rds in Fall 2002 to determine if any former participant was pursuing postsecond= ary education post exit (see Table 26).

Based on input from Project QUEST staff, the following records were excluded from further analysis because they fall outside the mission of the program or were documented as unable to participate in the l= abor market. Table 5 breaks down t= hese records by career track and completion status. A total of 2,259 unique records we= re analyzed.

Seed Records Ana= lyzed

Seed Records	N
Unduplicated SSNs	2,412
Records Excluded from analyses<= o:p>
Deceased only	Deceased	<17>=
Other Tracks (Track 84)	Grads Non-Grad Deceased	<33>= <23>= <2><= /span>
Bridge Program (Track 88)	Grads Non-Grad	<11>= <13>=
Supportive Housing Program (Track 93)	Grads Non-Grad BRS	<6><= /span> <7><= /span> <10>=
Objective Assessment (Track 83)	Non-Grad Deceased	<n/a> <n/a>
Communications Equipment Tech. (Track 66)	BRS	<n/a>
Continuing Education (Track 46)	Non-Grad	<n/a>
Network Administrator (Track 42)	BRS	<n/a>
BRS Only (Track 82)	BRS	<25>=
Total Records Excluded	<153>
Total Records Analyzed	2,259

Data Limits

The Automated Student and Adult Learner Follow-Up Syst= em (ASALFS) attempts to document the widest possible range of results by linki= ng with an ever increasing number of resource databases likely to contain information about former participant’s post-exit achievements. However, due to limitations in ava= ilable data, the reader in interpreting results should keep the following in mind:=

Persons “n= ot found” may have obtained employment in positions not covered by = this act (e.g. contract labor, persons who are self-employed).

Some may be incarcerated in federal, county, or municipal correctional institutions with which LMCI has no data exchange agreements. Still others= may be voluntarily separated from the labor force for personal reasons.

The “not found” category is presumed to reflect persons in each of the ab= ove groups.

The follow-up s= ystem is unable to determine if the person is working full-time, and is unab= le to determine if the person was employed during the entire quarter thro= ugh standard linkages with UI records.&nb= sp; As such, earnings figures are presented for comparison purposes only, and should be considered to under-represent the average participant’s full-employment earnings during the target quarter= .

In order to preserve the confidentiality of the individuals depicted, LMCI is required to avoid releasing information in any format that might result in a specific individual being identifiable. Hence, any cell containing fewer than five persons will be labe= led “n/a.”

Results

The results of record linkages are shown in the report= card in Table 6. LMCI was successf= ul in documenting post-exit results for over eighty percent (80.4 percent) of for= mer Project QUEST participants. T= he largest group of former participants was found working only (69.4 percent). Close to nine perce= nt (8.7 percent) were working and going to school, while over two percent (2.3 percent) were going to school exclusively.= Almost twenty percent (19.6 percent) of the exiting cohort was not located through electronic linkages.

Not located means that these former participants were = not found in any of the resource databases referenced in the methodology section. It is possible that = these former participants have left the state, work in occupations not covered by= the UI wage records, have joined the military or federal civil service or have enrolled in a private postsecondary institution. Additional follow-up is required to determine their post-exit results.

Table 6. Report Card for Project QUEST Exiters

Post-E= xit Results	N=	Percen= t of Cohort
Working Only	1,568	69.4%
School Only	51	2.3%
Working and School	197	8.7%
Not Located	443	19.6%
Total	2,259	100.0%

Table 7 shows employment and earnings of the cohort by completion status. Those comp= leting their field of training were employed in greater numbers (78 percent) and h= ad higher average quarterly earnings ($5,756) than those who did not complete. Over fifty nine per= cent (59.4 percent) of non-graduates are employed with average earnings of $2,87= 2 per quarter. Clearly those gradua= ting from Project QUEST experience considerably higher average quarterly earnings and achieved much higher rates of payroll employment.

Table7. Employment and Earnings of Participants found Working Only by Comple= tion Status

Comple= tion Status	N=	Workin= g Only	Percen= t of Working Only	Avg. Q= uarter Earnings
Graduate	1,218	950	78.0%	$5,756
Non-Graduate	1,041	618	59.4%	$2,872
Total	2,259	1,568	69.4%	$4,619

To provide some context to the labor market results ac= hieved by Project QUEST participants, we compared them with the results achieved by Alamo Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB)Adult participants of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The WIA is a federally funded program run by TWC that provides employment and t= raining services to the universal population of job seekers as well as populations meeting specific WIA eligibility requirements.

LMCI chose to compare Project QUEST results to the Ala= mo LWDB Adult population served by WIA because these groups closely resemble e= ach other in participant characteristics, i.e. unemployed or underemployed, low income, TANF/Food Stamps, single parent. Both programs also employ si= milar interventions such as assessment of skills and needs, occupational skills training, career counseling, job search, job referral and placement assistance.

Table 8 shows that Project QUEST participants who grad= uated achieved higher employment and average quarterly earnings than Alamo LWDB W= IA Adult participants who received training. However, Alamo LWDB WIA Adul= ts who did not receive training were more likely to be employed (65.3 percent) and earn higher wages ($3,188) than Project QUEST participants (59.4 percent, $2,872) who did not graduate. It is possible that Alamo LWDB WIA adults who did not receive training may have h= ad prior work experience and possess some occupationally specific KSAs that may explain the higher employment rate and earnings.

Table 8. Comparison of Employment and Earnings between Project QUEST and Alamo LWDB WIA Adult Exiters

Projec= t QUEST Exiters

Percen= t

Workin= g

Average Quarterly Earnings

Alamo LWDB

2001-2002 WIA Exit C= ohort

Percen= t Working

Average Quarterly Earnings

Graduate

78.0%

$5,756

Vocational Training

69.2%

$3,606

Non-Graduate

59.4%

$2,872

No Vocational Training[2]<= /a>

65.3%

$3,188

Some former participants (197) were found both working= and enrolled at a public postsecondary institution in Texas. Table 9 show that more graduates (= 9.6 percent) than non-graduates (7.7 percent) were found working and going to s= chool. This demonstrates that in addition= to having graduated with a certificate or degree, some former participants are pursuing additional higher education.

Table 9. Employment and Earnings of Participants Working and Going to School,= by Completion Status.

Comple= tion Status	N=	Workin= g and in School	Percen= t of Working and in School	Avg. Q= uarter Earnings
Graduate	1,218	117	9.6%	$5,461
Non-Graduate	1,041	80	7.7%	$2,818
Total	2,259	197	8.7%	$4,388

Table 10 shows that more (87.6 percent) participants who graduated = were working when compared to non-graduate participants (67.1 percent). Graduates also were earning significantly more on the average per quarter ($5,724) than non-graduates ($2,866).

Table 10. Employment and Earnings of All Working Participants,

by Completion Status.

Completion Status	N<= /b>	All Working	Percent of All Working	Avg. Quarter Earning= s
Graduate	1,218	1,067	87.6%	$5,724
Non-Graduate	1,041	698	67.1%	$2,866
Total	2,259	1,765	78.1%	$4,593

Table 11 shows pre- and post-exit employment rate and earnings of graduates by year of exit.&nbs= p; Two quarters after exit, employment among graduates increased significantly along with substantial earnings gains. This table shows only graduates wh= o were previously employed prior to participating in Project Quest and demonstrates the value added by the program in terms of earnings gains.

Table 11. Pre/Post-Exit Employment, Earnings and Earnings Gains by Exit Year of Graduates Employed Prior to Project Quest

Exit Year	Total N	Employed at Q_1=	Employed at Q+2	Avg. Qtr. Earnings Gains <losses> (b)-(a)
N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (a)	N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (b)
1993=	na=	na=	100.0%	$308=	na=	100.0%	$5,780	$5,472
1994=	50=	23=	46.0%=	$2,233	43=	86.0%=	$3,732	$1,499
1995=	230=	120=	52.2%=	$1,734	198=	86.1%=	$4,828	$3,094
1996=	98=	48=	49.0%=	$2,023	74=	75.5%=	$4,935	$2,912
1997=	123=	66=	53.7%=	$3,252	106=	86.2%=	$5,106	$1,854
1998=	120=	54=	45.0%=	$2,358	108=	90.0%=	$4,599	$2,242
1999=	145=	80=	55.2%=	$2,722	136=	93.8%=	$5,452	$2,730
2000=	120=	72=	60.0%=	$2,012	110=	91.7%=	$5,917	$3,905
2001=	155=	100=	64.5%=	$3,031	137=	88.4%=	$7,150	$4,119
2002=	176=	118=	67.0%=	$2,762	154=	87.5%=	$7,857	$5,095

Not all Project Quest participants were employed prior= to participating in the program. Table 12 shows the employment rate and earnings among these participants by exit year. Because these participa= nts were not employed previously, their earnings gains will be 100 percent. There appears to be a trend in the= most recent years (1998-2002) showing that more and more employed participants a= re participating in Project Quest as opposed to unemployed. Participants who were unemployed p= rior to Project QUEST demonstrated high employment rates and earnings post-exit.=

Table 12. Pre/Post-Exit Employment, Earnings and Earnings Gains by Exit Year of Graduates Unemploye= d Prior to Project Quest

Ex= it Year	To= tal N	Not working in Q-1	% = Not Working in Q-1	Wo= rking in Q+2	%<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Working in Q+2=	Av= g. Qtr. Earnings at Q+2
199= 3	na<= o:p>	0	0.0= %	0	0.0= %	0
199= 4	50<= o:p>	27<= o:p>	54.= 0%	22<= o:p>	81.= 5%	$4,= 133
199= 5	230=	110=	47.= 8%	91<= o:p>	82.= 7%	$4,= 691
199= 6	98<= o:p>	50<= o:p>	51.= 0%	32<= o:p>	64.= 0%	$4,= 851
199= 7	123=	57<= o:p>	46.= 3%	50<= o:p>	87.= 7%	$4,= 913
199= 8	120=	66<= o:p>	55.= 0%	56<= o:p>	84.= 8%	$4,= 318
199= 9	145=	65<= o:p>	44.= 8%	59<= o:p>	90.= 8%	$5,= 391
200= 0	120=	48<= o:p>	40.= 0%	40<= o:p>	83.= 3%	$5,= 916
200= 1	155=	55<= o:p>	35.= 5%	46<= o:p>	83.= 6%	$6,= 700
200= 2	176=	58<= o:p>	33.= 0%	48<= o:p>	82.= 8%	$7,= 879

For non-graduates, there was some improvement in their post-exit employment rate along with some earnings gains, but not as significant as those for participants who completed their programs of study (Table 13). It is likely that= these gains are the result of some marketable skills gained by the participants w= hile enrolled in the program.

Table13. Pre/Post-Exit Employment, Earnings and Earnings Gains by Exit Year of Non-Graduates Employed Prior to Project Quest

Exit Year	Total N	Employed at Q_1=	Employed at Q+2	Avg. Qtr. Earnings Gains <losses> (b)-(a)
N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (a)	N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (b)
1993=	51=	27=	52.9%=	$1,346	34=	66.7%=	$2,368	$1,021
1994=	155=	77=	49.7%=	$1,793	104=	67.1%=	$2,401	$608=
1995=	157=	68=	43.3%=	$1,585	101=	64.3%=	$2,536	$950=
1996=	48=	24=	50.0%=	$1,933	29=	60.4%=	$3,224	$1,291
1997=	70=	46=	65.7%=	$2,315	58=	82.9%=	$2,498	$183=
1998=	69=	34=	49.3%=	$1,702	43=	62.3%=	$2,684	$983=
1999=	143=	83=	58.0%=	$1,747	102=	71.3%=	$3,426	$1,679
2000=	93=	59=	63.4%=	$1,868	62=	66.7%=	$3,119	$1,251
2001=	158=	117=	74.1%=	$1,927	108=	68.4%=	$2,944	$1,017
2002=	97=	71=	73.2%=	$2,656	57=	58.8%=	$3,497	$841=

Not all Project Quest participants who did not graduat= e were employed prior to participating in the program. Table 14 shows the employment rate= s and earnings among these participants by exit year. Because these participants were not employed previously, their earnings gains will be 100 percent. Although participants who were unemployed prior to Project QUEST had higher employment rates and earnings post-exit, they still had lower employment rates and earnings after exit th= an those who graduated.

Table 14. Non-Graduates W= ho Were Unemployed Prior to Project Quest

Ex= it Year	To= tal N	Not working in Q-1	% = Not Working in Q-1	Wo= rking in Q+2	% Working in Q+2	Av= g. Qtr. Earnings at Q+2
199= 3	51<= o:p>	24<= o:p>	47.= 1%	12<= o:p>	50.= 0%	$1,= 977
199= 4	155=	78<= o:p>	50.= 3%	45<= o:p>	57.= 7%	$2,= 250
199= 5	157=	89<= o:p>	56.= 7%	49<= o:p>	55.= 1%	$2,= 516
199= 6	48<= o:p>	24<= o:p>	50.= 0%	13<= o:p>	54.= 2%	$3,= 206
199= 7	70<= o:p>	24<= o:p>	34.= 3%	20<= o:p>	83.= 3%	$1,= 628
199= 8	69<= o:p>	35<= o:p>	50.= 7%	16<= o:p>	45.= 7%	$2,= 297
199= 9	143=	60<= o:p>	42.= 0%	32<= o:p>	53.= 3%	$3,= 232
200= 0	93<= o:p>	34<= o:p>	36.= 6%	21<= o:p>	61.= 8%	$2,= 811
200= 1	158=	41<= o:p>	26.= 0%	26<= o:p>	63.= 4%	$3,= 331
200= 2	97<= o:p>	26<= o:p>	26.= 8%	11<= o:p>	42.= 3%	$2,= 198

Table 15 shows employment persistence and earnings gai= ns of graduates from Q+2 to Q+4. Th= ere were high rates of employment persistence and modest earnings gains for graduates employed one year after exit (Q+4). The most recent cohort (2002 exite= rs) experienced the largest increase in earnings of $1,131 or over 14 percent between = the target quarters.

Table 15. Graduate Employment Persistence and Earnin= gs Gains from Q+2 to Q+4 by Exit

Exit Year	Total N	Employed in Both Q+2 and Q+4=	Avg. Qtr. Earnings Gains <losses> (b)-(a)
Employed at Q+2	Still Employed at Q+4=
N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (a)	N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (b)
1993=	na=	na=	100.0%	$5,780	na<= /span>	100.0%	$6,886	$1,106
1994=	50=	43=	86.0%=	$3,732	39<= /span>	90.7%=	$4,233	$500=
1995=	230=	198=	86.1%=	$4,828	188=	94.9%=	$5,092	$264=
1996=	98=	74=	75.5%=	$4,935	68<= /span>	91.9%=	$5,684	$749=
1997=	123=	106=	86.2%=	$5,106	95<= /span>	89.6%=	$5,966	$860=
1998=	120=	108=	90.0%=	$4,599	102=	94.4%=	$4,659	$60=
1999=	145=	136=	93.8%=	$5,452	132=	97.1%=	$6,045	$593=
2000=	120=	110=	91.7%=	$5,917	105=	95.5%=	$6,178	$261=
2001=	155=	137=	88.4%=	$7,150	132=	96.4%=	$7,336	$186=
2002=	176=	154=	87.5%=	$7,857	147=	95.5%=	$8,988	$1,131

Table 16 shows employment persistence and earnings gai= ns from Q+2 to Q+4 for non-graduates. Although employment persistence and earnings gains continued to impr= ove in Q+4 for non-graduates, they still were lower for this cohort than for graduates.

Table 16. Non-Graduate Employment Persistence and Earnings Gains from Q+2 to Q= +4 by Exit

Exit Year	Total N	Employed in Both Q+2 and Q+4=	Avg. Qtr. Earnings Gains <losses> (b)-(a)
Employed at Q+2	Employed at Q+4
N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (a)	N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (b)
1993=	51=	34=	66.7%=	2,368=	25=	73.5%=	$2,638	$271=
1994=	155=	104=	67.1%=	2,401=	86=	82.7%=	$3,127	$726=
1995=	157=	101=	64.3%=	2,536=	87=	86.1%=	$3,275	$739=
1996=	48=	29=	60.4%=	3,224=	25=	86.2%=	$3,724	$500=
1997=	70=	58=	82.9%=	2,498=	55=	94.8%=	$3,372	$874=
1998=	69=	43=	62.3%=	2,684=	40=	93.0%=	$3,062	$378=
1999=	143=	102=	71.3%=	3,426=	94=	92.2%=	$3,559	$133=
2000=	93=	62=	66.7%=	3,119=	52=	83.9%=	$3,466	$347=
2001=	158=	108=	68.4%=	2,944=	88=	81.5%=	$3,669	$726=
2002=	97=	57=	58.8%=	3,497=	43=	75.4%=	$3,759	$262=

Table 17 shows employment persistence and earnings gai= ns for graduates from Q+2 to Q+6 post-exit. Where data are available, except for the 1994 exit cohort, there were very high employment persistence rates for all the cohorts at one year after exit. Additional study of the= 1994 cohort is required to help explain this observation.

Table 17. Graduate Employ= ment Persistence and Earnings Gains From Q+2 to Q+6 by Exit Year

Exit Year	Total N	Employed in Both Q+2 and Q+6=	Avg. Qtr. Earnings Gains <losses> (b)-(a)
Employed at Q+2	Still Employed at Q+6=
N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (a)	N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (b)
1993=	na=	na=	100.0%	$5,780	na=	100.0%	$8,550	$2,770
1994=	50=	43=	86.0%=	$3,732	11=	25.6%=	$5,277	$1,545
1995=	230=	198=	86.1%=	$4,828	189=	95.5%=	$5,379	$551=
1996=	98=	74=	75.5%=	$4,935	69=	93.2%=	$6,435	$1,500
1997=	123=	106=	86.2%=	$5,106	95=	89.6%=	$5,671	$565=
1998=	120=	108=	90.0%=	$4,599	91=	84.3%=	$5,275	$676=
1999=	145=	136=	93.8%=	$5,452	129=	94.9%=	$6,618	$1,166
2000=	120=	110=	91.7%=	$5,917	100=	90.9%=	$6,612	$694=
2001=	155=	137=	88.4%=	$7,150	128=	93.4%=	$7,582	$432=

Table 18 shows that employment persistence among non-graduates from Q+2 to Q+6 are still high except for those who exited in 1994. Additional study is required to ex= plain this observation.

Table 18. Non-Graduate Employment Persistence and Earnings Gains From Q+2 to Q+6 by Exit Year

Exit Year	Total N	Employed in Both Q+2 and Q+6	Avg. Qtr. Earnings Gains <losses> (b)-(a)
Employed at Q+2	Employed at Q+6
N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (a)	N	%	Avg. Qtr. Earnings (b)
1993=	51=	34=	66.7%=	$2,368	24=	70.6%=	$2,802	$434=
1994=	155=	104=	67.1%=	$2,401	51=	49.0%=	$3,225	$824=
1995=	157=	101=	64.3%=	$2,536	85=	84.2%=	$3,303	$767=
1996=	48=	29=	60.4%=	$3,224	24=	82.8%=	$3,944	$719=
1997=	70=	58=	82.9%=	$2,498	52=	89.7%=	$3,697	$1,199
1998=	69=	43=	62.3%=	$2,684	35=	81.4%=	$3,374	$690=
1999=	143=	102=	71.3%=	$3,426	92=	90.2%=	$4,012	$586=
2000=	93=	62=	66.7%=	$3,119	46=	74.2%=	$3,696	$577=
2001=	158=	108=	68.4%=	$2,944	90=	83.3%=	$3,663	$720=

Table 19 compares the most common industries of employ= ment for graduates before and after Project QUEST participation. Industries are represented by the 4-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For those employed before enrollin= g in Project QUEST, the top two industries of employment were General Medical and Surgical Hospitals with average quarterly earnings of $2,940 followed by Professional Employer Organizations with average quarterly earnings of $1,3= 36.

The most common industries post-exit is a stark contra= st to those before Project QUEST. P= rior to Project QUEST participation, there was a preponderance of industries that are typically low-skill and low-wage. The significant increases in average quarterly earnings post-exit demonstrate the difference that the newly acquired knowledge, skills, and abilities of Project QUEST participants has resulted in higher earnings in industries requiring higher levels of skill. The most common industries pos= t-exit were General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, and Nursing Care Facilities wi= th average quarterly earnings of $6,986 and $6,325 respectively. Those who found work at Offices of Dentists had the highest average quarterly earnings at $10,013.

&nb= sp;

Table 19= . Top 10 Most Common Industries of Graduates Before (Q-1) and After (Q+2) Project QUEST, 4-digit NAICS

Top 10 Industries of Employment at Q-1	N	Avg. Qtr. Earnings	Top 10 Industries of Employment at Q+2	N	Avg. Qtr. Earnings
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	48	$2,940=	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	296	$6,986=
Professional Employer Organizations	40	$1,336=	Nursing Care Facilities	119	$6,325=
All Other Business Support Services	37	$1,995=	Professional Employer Organizations	54	$3,575=
Discount Department Stores	27	$1,898=	Offices of Mental Health Physicians	53	$4,507=
Home Health Care Services	27	$1,707=	Other Guided Missile/Space Vehicle Parts	50	$6,937=
Full-Service Restaurants	25	$2,262=	Other Nonresidential Equipment Contractors	32	$5,046=
Nursing Care Facilities	24	$2,870=	All Other Outpatient Care Centers	30	$6,136=
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	20	$1,811=	Home Health Care Services	23	$4,656=
Convenience Stores	19	$2,972=	Junior Colleges	21	$3,148=
All Other General Merchandize Stores	16	$3,444=	Offices of Dentists	21	$10,013

Table 20 shows the most common industries at Q+2 and Q+4. There is little change i= n the top five industries indicating industry resilience and demonstrating some measure of employer satisfaction. The continuing trend of earnings gains also indicates employer satisfaction with the former participants.

Table 20. Top 10 Most Com= mon Industries of Graduates (4-digit NAICS) Post-Exit (Q+2 - Q+4)

Top= 10 Industries of Employment at Q+2	N	Avg.= Qtr. Earnings=	Top= 10 Industries of Employment at Q+4	N	Avg= . Qtr. Earnings=
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	296	$6,986	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	274	$7,857
Nursing Care Facilities	119	$6,325	Nursing Care Facilities	106	$6,847
Professional Employer Organizations=	54	$3,575	Professional Employer Organizations=	55	$4,684
Offices of Mental Health Physicians=	53	$4,507	Other Guided Missile/Space Vehicle Parts	44	$6,447
Other Guided Missile/Space Vehicle Parts	50	$6,937	Home Health Care Services	40	$6,373
Other Nonresidential Equipment Contractors=	32	$5,046	Offices of Mental Health Physicians=	39	$4,517
All Other Outpatient Care Centers	30	$6,136	Other Nonresidential Equipment Contractors=	31	$5,677
Home Health Care Services	23	$4,656	All Other Outpatient Care Centers	25	$6,733
Junior Colleges	21	$3,148	Offices of Dentists	23	$9,980
Offices of Dentists	21	$10,013	Other Depository Credit Intermediation	21	$3,676

Table 21 shows that at Q+6, employment among former graduates has stabilized with little change in the top industries of employment. These former participants are demonstrating labor force attachment one year after exit a= nd are well on their way to achieving self-sufficiency.

Table 21. Top 10 Most Com= mon Industries of Graduates Post-Exit (Q+4 - Q+6), 4-digit NAICS

Top 10 Industries of Employm= ent at Q+4	N	Avg. Qtr. Earnings	Top 10 Industries of Employm= ent at Q+6	N	Avg. Qtr. Earnings
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	274	$7,857	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	197	$7,015
Nursing Care Facilities	106	$6,847	Nursing Care Facilities	84	$6,712
Professional Employer Organizations=	55	$4,684	Professional Employer Organizations=	56	$5,008
Other Guided Missile/Space Vehicle Parts	44	$6,447	Home Health Care Services	42	$7,554
Home Health Care Services	40	$6,373	Offices of Mental Health Physicians=	39	$4,949
Offices of Mental Health Physicians=	39	$4,517	Other Nonresidential Equipment Contractors=	28	$5,851
Other Nonresidential Equipment Contractors=	31	$5,677	Other Guided Missile/Space Vehicle Parts	26	$6,952
All Other Outpatient Care Centers	25	$6,733	All Other Outpatient Care Centers	18	$6,616
Offices of Dentists	23	$9,980	Other General Government Support	18	$4,760
Other Depository Credit Intermediation	21	$3,676	Junior Colleges	15	$4,065

Table 22 compares the pre and post-exit industries of employment for Project QUEST participants who did not complete their progra= ms of study. There was little ch= ange in the mix of industries but there were some earnings increases probably du= e to seniority.

&nb= sp;

Table 22= . Top 10 Most Common Industries of Non-Graduates Before (Q-1) and After (Q+2) Project QUEST, 4-digit NAICS

Top 10 Industries of Employment at Q-1	N	Avg. Qtr. Earnings	Top 10 Industries of Employment at Q+2	N	Avg. Qtr. Earnings
Professional Employer Organizations	56	$1,188=	Professional Employer Organizations	62	$2,323=
All Other Business Support Services	37	$1,530=	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	37	$3,824=
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	34	$1,246=	All Other Business Support Services	35	$1,899=
Discount Department Stores	27	$1,716=	Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	26	$2,359=
Convenient Stores	22	$2,511=	Discount Department Stores	20	$2,399=
Elementary and Secondary Schools	22	$1,645=	Other Depository Credit Intermediation	20	$3,795=
Full-Service Restaurants	22	$2,077=	Nursing Care Facilities	20	$3,064=
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	18	$3,204=	Convenience Stores	19	$2,616=
Other Clothing Stores	16	$1,082=	Home Health Care Services	15	$1,918=
Home Health Care Services	16	$1,183=	Full-Service Restaurants	14	$2,707=

Table 23 shows the most common industries for non-grad= uates from Q+2 to Q+4. There was li= ttle change in the top ten industries indicating industry resilience and demonstrating some measure of employer satisfaction. The continuing trend of small earn= ings gains also indicates employer satisfaction with the former participants, al= beit in primarily lower skilled jobs.

Table 23. Top 10 Most Com= mon Industries of Non-Graduates (4-digit NAICS) Post-Exit (Q+2 - Q+4)

Top 10 Industries of Employm= ent at Q+2	N	Avg= . Qtr. Earnings=	Top 10 Industries of Employm= ent at Q+4	N	Avg. Qtr. Earnings
Professional Employer Organizations=	62	$2,323	Professional Employer Organizations=	59	$2,607
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	37	$3,824	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	39	$3,865
All Other Business Support Services=	35	$1,899	All Other Business Support Services=	23	$2,277
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	26	$2,359	Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	23	$2,148
Discount Department Stores	20	$2,399	Discount Department Stores	21	$2,566
Other Depository Credit Intermediation	20	$3,795	Home Health Care Services	21	$2,379
Nursing Care Facilities	20	$3,064	Elementary and Secondary Schools	17	$2,205
Convenience Stores	19	$2,616	Full-Service Restaurants	17	$2,393
Home Health Care Services	15	$1,918	Other Depository Credit Intermediation	16	$3,979
Full-Service Restaurants	14	$2,707	Convenience Stores	15	$2,782

Table 24 shows that at Q+6, employment among former graduates has stabilized with little change in the top industries of employment. Those employed at General Medical and Surgical Hospitals continue to exhibit the highest earnings.

Table 24. Top 10 Most Com= mon Industries of Non-Graduates Post-Exit (Q+4 - Q+6), 4-digit NAICS

Top 10 Industries of Employm= ent at Q+4	N	Avg. Qtr. Earnings	Top 10 Industries of Employm= ent at Q+6	N	Avg. Qtr. Earnings
Professional Employer Organizations=	59	$2,607	Professional Employer Organizations=	53	$2,670
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	39	$3,865	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	33	$4,506
All Other Business Support Services=	23	$2,277	All Other Business Support Services=	25	$2,532
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	23	$2,148	Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars	23	$2,103
Discount Department Stores	21	$2,566	Home Health Care Services	20	$2,060
Home Health Care Services	21	$2,379	Elementary and Secondary Schools	18	$2,049
Elementary and Secondary Schools	17	$2,205	Convenience Stores	16	$3,378
Full-Service Restaurants	17	$2,393	Full-Service Restaurants	16	$2,547
Other Depository Credit Intermediation	16	$3,979	Wired Telecommunications Carriers	12	$3,999
Convenience Stores	15	$2,782	Other Depository Credit Intermediation	12	$4,354

One method to help ensure that workforce-training participants find employment after exit is to determine industries that are hiring and have future job openings. Once growth industries are identified and rank ordered using total j= ob openings, the demand occupations within those industries can be identified = to determine where to target specific training. A targeting process is undertaken = each year by every local workforce development board (LWDB) in the state. The Alamo LWDB is responsible for = labor market planning and targeting in the San Antonio area (http://www.twc.state.tx.us/dirs/wdbs/wdbcontacts.html#Alamo). Labor market planning and targetin= g are done using SOCRATES (http://socrat= es.state.tx.us). SOCRATES is an online tool develop= ed by TWC and is widely used by local boards for labor market planning and targeting.

Table 25 shows the top ten occupationally specific fie= lds of study of Project QUEST graduates, by 6-digit CIP. The 6-digit CIP level represents a specific instructional program area. LMCI compared these training programs = with the Alamo LWDB list of targeted occupations for the last 3 years and found = that nine out of the ten most common fields of study by Project QUEST participan= ts were consistently on the targeted list.&nb= sp; The fourth column of the table contains a flag (Y=3Dyes, N=3Dno) to = indicate the presence of a particular field of study on the targeted list of occupat= ions in the Alamo LWDB for FY 2003. Post exit employment of Project QUEST graduates in all fields of study whether t= hey are on the targeted list or not were very high.

An occupation can only be listed on the targeted list = if it meets one or more of the following criteria used in SOCRATES (go to http://socrates.state.tx.us for m= ore information).

Table 25. Post-Exit Employment of Graduates in the Top 10 Fields of Study=

One metric in measuring prog= ram performance is to establish a direct relationship between the field of trai= ning and the occupation after exit. An employer follow-up survey is required to collect the occupational title. LMCI has conducted a similar surve= y in the past and developed a methodology to determine the relationship between training and occupations. How= ever, employer follow-up surveys are expensive and with the small number of Proje= ct QUEST exiters, it was not economically feasible to conduct a survey for this study.

Attachment 3 shows the most common fields of study and= the most common industries of employment after exit. The results shown on this table su= ggest some correlation between the field of study and the industries of employment. However, this tab= le in no way suggests that the training received is directly related to the occupations of former Project QUEST participants. As mentioned above, it is difficul= t to determine the relationship between training received and current occupation without knowing the occupational title of the former participant.

Pursuit of higher education can also be considered as = a positive outcome for Project QUEST participants.&nb= sp; Table 26 shows that 11 percent of former Project QUEST participants = were found enrolled in a public postsecondary institution in Texas in Fall 2002.= There were almost equal percentage= s of graduates (11 percent) and non-graduates (10.9 percent) enrolled in a postsecondary institution after exit.

Table 26. Results of Record Linkages with THECB Enrollment Records by Completi= on Status

Comple= tion Status	N=	Enroll= ed	Percen= t of Enrolled
Graduate	1,218	134	11.0%
Non-Graduate	1,041	114	10.9%
Total	2,259	248	11.0%

Of those enrolled, the most popular institutions are s= hown in Table 27. It is not surpri= sing that the Alamo Community College District campuses, the University of Texas= in San Antonio, and the University of Texas Health and Science Center in San Antonio comprise the top destinations of former participants since Project QUEST operates in the San Antonio area.&nb= sp; There was little migration to institutions of higher education outsi= de of San Antonio.

Table 27. Top Ten Higher Education Institutions for Project QUEST Exiters

Instit= ution	N=	Percen= t of All Enrolled	Percen= t of Cohort
San Antonio College	96	38.7%	4.3%
St. Philip’s College	72	29.0%	3.2%
Palo Alto College	25	10.1%	1.1%
University of Texas- San Antonio	21	8.5%	0.9%
UT Health and Science Center-San Antonio	8	3.2%	0.4%
North West Vista College	7	2.8%	0.3%
Texas A&M University-Kingsville	5	2.0%	0.2%
Houston Community College	n/a	1.2%	0.1%
Central Texas College	n/a	0.8%	0.1%
UT Medical Branch-Galveston	n/a	0.8%	0.1%

The most popular field of study for those who are purs= uing higher education was Registered Nursing, Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse and Computer Programming/Programmer (Table 28). The other majors in the top five, = Undeclared and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other, indicates that these students h= ave not declared a major field of study.

Table 28. Top 10 Most Common Field of Study by 6-digit CIP

Major = 6-digit CIP	N=	Percen= t of All Enrolled	Percen= t of Cohort
Nursing/Registered Nurse	61	24.6%	2.7%
Undeclared	25	10.1%	1.1%
Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse	17	6.9%	0.8%
Computer Programming/Programmer	11	4.4%	0.5%
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	8	3.2%	0.4%
Business Computer Facilities Operator	8	3.2%	0.4%
Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, Ge= neral	7	2.8%	0.3%
Biology/Biological Sciences, General	6	2.4%	0.3%
Special Education and Teaching, General	5	2.0%	0.2%
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies	5	2.0%	0.2%

One out of five former Project QUEST participants was = not located through automated record linkages.= Table 29 shows that almost thirty percent (29.7%) of non-graduates w= ere not located, while one in ten graduates were not located. It is possible that these exiters = were not located because they have left the state, are self-employed or enrolled= in a private institution. Project QUEST staff may have additional information on these former participants th= at can be used to supplement the results of this study.

Table 29. Participants Not Located by Completion Status

Comple= tion Status	N=	Not Lo= cated	Percen= t of Not Located
Graduate	1,218	134	11.0%
Non-Graduate	1,041	309	29.7%
Total	2,259	443	19.6%

Conclusions

Project QUEST is a minimum-focus= ed, maximum impact program designed to serve a small segment of the population = in the San Antonio area who would otherwise be unemployed and/or receiving pub= lic assistance.

Post-exit results achieved by Project QUEST participan= ts vary widely by completion status. Participants who graduate have a high employment rate and earn significantly higher wages than those who did not graduate. As a group, Project QUEST particip= ants are demonstrating high employment persistence and continuous earnings gains over time.

There was also noticeable post-exit enrollment at Texas public postsecondary institutions among Project QUEST participants for both graduates and non-graduates. = The data also show that there were dramatic reductions in the number of Project QUEST participants who were receiving public assistance post-exit.

Project QUEST’s sectored employment strategy mak= es good use of the targeted occupations list produced by Alamo LWDB to identify occupational clusters within a sub-sector of the economy. Employer input through advisory committees validates occupation specific demand providing an additional ste= p to help ensure employment of Project QUEST participants upon exit.

Recommendations

References

Project QUEST Inc.

CS Mott Foundation. [On-line]. Available (6/2/2003): http://www.m= ott.org/

publications/websites/annual2001/pv-story01.asp

&nbs= p; Smith, W., Wittner, J., Spence, R., Kleunen, A.V.= (September, 2002). Ski= lls training works: Examining the evidence.&nb= sp; The Workforce Alliance. [On-line].&= nbsp; Available (6/2/2003): http://www.workforcealliance.org/Skills%20Trai= ning%20Works%20

Report.pdf

&nbs= p; National Center for Educational Statistics. Classification of Instructional Programs: 2000 Edition.

Attachment 1

List of codes used to identify training areas (tracks).

Num Career Track

----- -------------------------

0 - (None)

1 - Licensed Vocational Nurse<= o:p>

2 - Registered Nurse

3 - Occupational Therapy =

4 - Radiography Tech.

5 - Respiratory Therapy Tech.<= o:p>

6 - Medical Records Tech.

7 - HSA - Medical Transcriber<= o:p>

8 - Medical Lab Tech.

9 - Surgical Tech. =

10 - Biomed. Equip. Tech. =

11 - Hazard. Material Tech.

12 - Chemical Tech =

13 - Physical Therapy Assist.

14 - Dental Hygienist

15 - Drug/Alcohol Counselor

16 - Lawn Care

17 - Nursery Operations

18 - Landscape Contractor =

19 - CAD Technician

20 - CAM Technician

21 - Hotel/Motel Clerk

22 - Customer Service Rep.

23 - Electronics Technician

24 - Information Systems <= /span>

25 - Logistics Management Tech.<= /o:p>

26 - Diesel Mechanic/Heavy Eq.

27 - Financial Services Rep.

28 - Histologic Technician

29 - Substance Abuse Counselor

30 - Facilities Technician

31 - Heavy Equipment Tech.

32 - Combination Welding <= /span>

33 - CAD/CAM/CIM Tech.

34 - Construction Acctg/Appr.

35 - Truck Driver <= /p>

36 - Computer Maintenance Tech.<= /o:p>

37 - Database Specialist <= /span>

38 - Environmental Lab Tech.

39 - Accounting Tech.

40 - Aircraft Maintenance (2 yr)=

41 - Administrative Systems Tech.

42 - Network Administrator

43 - Plumber

44 - Field Engineer/Surveyor

45 - Commercial Carpentry =

46 - Continuing Education =

47 - Medication Aide

48 - Health Unit Coordinator

49 - Mental Health Tech. <= /span>

50 - Child Care Tech.

51 - Computer Programmer <= /span>

52 - Computer Operator

53 - Micro Computers

54 - Dental Assistant

55 - Social Service Tech. =

56 - Medical Secretary

57 - Auto Body Repair

58 - General Office

59 - Food Service <= /p>

60 - Heating, Vent., Air Cond.

61 - Interior Design

62 - Criminal Justice

63 - Fire Science <= /p>

64 - Drafting

65 - HSA - Med. Records Coder

66 - Communications Equip. Tech =

67 - Inventory Management Tech

68 - Medical Assistant

69 - Plant Maintenance Tech

70 - OJT

71 - Legal Assistant

72 - Certified Nurse Aide =

73 - Automotive Technician

74 - Pharmacy Technician <= /span>

75 - Carpenter

76 - Data Entry Technician

77 - Environmental Mgmt. Tech.

78 - Community Health Worker

79 - HSA - Insurance / Billing

80 - HSA - Clinical Unit Spec.

81 - Workforce Devel. Academy

82 - BRS Only

83 - Objective Assessment =

84 - Other Tracks. See Notes

85 - Office Automation

86 - Electrical Helper Appren.

87 - Dialysis Technician <= /span>

88 - Bridge Program

89 - Computer Help Desk Specialist

90 - Basic Education Training

91 - Network Operator Tech.

92 - Aircraft Sheetmetal (DeeHoward)<= o:p>

93 - Supportive Housing Pgm.

94 - Aircraft Structural (Boeing)

95 - Aircraft Gas Turb Eng (StdAero)<= o:p>

96 - Communications Equipment Tech

97 - BET 1 (7.0 - 8.9)

98 - BET 2 (9.0 - 10.9)

99 - Graphic Arts

Attachment 2

Seed Records by Exit Quarter/Year and UI Wage Record Linkages

Pre-Project QUEST UI Wage Qu= arters Based on Enrollment Date=	Post- Exit UI Wage Quarters = Based on Termination Date<= /p>
Enrollment Date (QYY)=	N	Q-1	Termination Date (QYY)	N	Base Line (Q+2)	1 Year (Q+4)	18 Months (Q+6)	Subtotal by UI Availability
193	219	492	193	2	393	194	394	&= nbsp;
293	191	193	293	9	493	294	494	&= nbsp;
393	68	293	393	9	194	394	195	&= nbsp;
493	45	393	493	32	294	494	295	&= nbsp;
194	50	493	194	25	394	195	395	&= nbsp;
294	20	194	294	49	494	295	495	&= nbsp;
394	100	294	394	64	195	395	196	&= nbsp;
494	4	394	494	71	295	495	296	&= nbsp;
195	64	494	195	93	395	196	396	&= nbsp;
295	64	195	295	97	495	296	496	&= nbsp;
395	0	295	395	145	196	396	197	&= nbsp;
495	0	395	495	57	296	496	297	&= nbsp;
196	50	495	196	47	396	197	397	&= nbsp;
296	24	196	296	45	496	297	497	&= nbsp;
396	80	296	396	30	197	397	198	&= nbsp;
496	36	396	496	27	297	497	298	&= nbsp;
197	145	496	197	40	397	198	398	&= nbsp;
297	46	197	297	80	497	298	498	&= nbsp;
397	93	297	397	55	198	398	199	&= nbsp;
497	28	397	497	45	298	498	299	&= nbsp;
198	106	497	198	56	398	199	399	<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> =
298	63	198	298	61	498	299	499	&= nbsp;
398	98	298	398	65	199	399	100	&= nbsp;
498	7	398	498	20	299	499	200	&= nbsp;
199	80	498	199	50	399	100	300	&= nbsp;
299	40	199	299	86	499	200	400	&= nbsp;
399	64	299	399	153	100	300	101	&= nbsp;
499	41	399	499	36	200	400	201	&= nbsp;
100	57	499	100	45	300	101	301	<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> =
200	79	100	200	30	400	201	401	&= nbsp;
300	183	200	300	105	101	301	102	&= nbsp;
400	64	300	400	48	201	401	202	&= nbsp;
101	81	400	101	66	301	102	302	&= nbsp;
201	45	101	201	72	401	202	402	&= nbsp;
301	43	201	301	184	102	302	103	&= nbsp;
401	9	301	401	20	202	402	203	&= nbsp;
102	19	401	102	65	302	103	&= nbsp;	2119
202	2	102	202	68	402	203	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;
302	4	202	302	150	103	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	2252
total	2412	=	402	10	203	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;
			T= otal	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	2412

Attachme= nt 3

Top fiel= d of study by industry of employment

Field of Study =	N total	Industry of Employment=	N working	Avg. Qtr. Earnings<= span style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Arial= Unicode MS"'>
Li= censed Practical /Vocational Nurse Training (LPN, LVN, Cert, Dipl, A	487	Nu= rsing Care Facilities	108	$6,402
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Ge= neral Medical and Surgical Hospitals	78	$5,085
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Of= fices of Physicians	25	$4,784
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Ho= me Health Care Services	21	$4,774
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Co= mmunity Care Facilities for the Elderly=	16	$6,712
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Em= ployment Services	14	$3,024
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Ps= ychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	14	$6,218
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Ou= tpatient Care Centers	10	$5,942
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Re= sidential Mental Retardation, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	7	$3,695
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	404	$5,034
Nu= rsing - Registered Nurse Training (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)=	216	Ge= neral Medical and Surgical Hospitals	144	$9,087
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Ou= tpatient Care Centers	9	$8,559
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Nu= rsing Care Facilities	6	$7,037
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	189	$8,333
Ad= ministrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General=	180	Em= ployment Services	17	$2,643
&n= bsp;	&= nbsp;	Ju= nior Colleges	8	$2,685
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	130	$3,305
Ba= sic Skills, General	177	Em= ployment Services	12	$2,301
&n= bsp;	&= nbsp;	Li= mited-Service Eating Places	7	$2,287
&n= bsp;	&= nbsp;	Nu= rsing Care Facilities	6	$2,752
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	117	$2,557
Co= mputer Systems Networking and Telecommunications=	120	Em= ployment Services	10	$4,829
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Ju= nior Colleges	9	$4,302
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Bu= siness Support Services	7	$2,315
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	87	$4,427
Cu= stomer Service Support	71	De= pository Credit Intermediation	13	$3,243
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	54	$2,693
Me= dical/Clinical Assistant	61	Of= fices of Physicians	17	$3,829
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	49	$3,312
Ai= rframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician	54	Ae= rospace Product and Parts Manufacturing=	32	$7,386
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	46	$6,008
Re= nal/Dialysis Technologist/Technician	50	Ou= tpatient Care Centers	11	$4,334
&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	Nu= rsing Care Facilities	8	$3,501
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	36	$3,094
Ac= counting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping=	50	Em= ployment Services	8	$2,677
Total Found Employed	&= nbsp;	&= nbsp;	39	$3,678

Executive Summary

Methodology

Table 3. Results of Record Linkages with TWC TANF and Food Stamp Records in FY 2003

Table 4. Results of Record Linkages with TBVS Database

Data Limits

Results

Table 6. Report Card for Project QUEST Exiters

Table 12. Pre/Post-Exit Employment, Earnings and Earnings Gains by Exit Year of Graduates Unemploye= d Prior to Project Quest

Table 14. Non-Graduates W= ho Were Unemployed Prior to Project Quest

Table 17. Graduate Employ= ment Persistence and Earnings Gains From Q+2 to Q+6 by Exit Year

Table 18 shows that employment persistence among non-graduates from Q+2 to Q+6 are still high except for those who exited in 1994. Additional study is required to ex= plain this observation.

Table 18. Non-Graduate Employment Persistence and Earnings Gains From Q+2 to Q+6 by Exit Year

Employed in Both Q+2 and Q+6

Table 20. Top 10 Most Com= mon Industries of Graduates (4-digit NAICS) Post-Exit (Q+2 - Q+4)

Table 21. Top 10 Most Com= mon Industries of Graduates Post-Exit (Q+4 - Q+6), 4-digit NAICS

Table 23. Top 10 Most Com= mon Industries of Non-Graduates (4-digit NAICS) Post-Exit (Q+2 - Q+4)

Table 24. Top 10 Most Com= mon Industries of Non-Graduates Post-Exit (Q+4 - Q+6), 4-digit NAICS

Table 27. Top Ten Higher Education Institutions for Project QUEST Exiters

Table 28. Top 10 Most Common Field of Study by 6-digit CIP

Table 29. Participants Not Located by Completion Status

Conclusions

Recommendations

Attachment 1

List of codes used to identify training areas (tracks).

Attachment 2

Seed Records by Exit Quarter/Year and UI Wage Record Linkages