Post-Exit Labor Market and

Higher Education
Achievements

Of Persons Served Under:

Project QUEST Inc.

(Quality
Employment Through Skills Training)

Labor Market and Career
Information

Texas Workforce Commission

April 2004

Executive Summary

Project QUEST (Quality Employment Through Skills Training)
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 business
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 closely
tied to the Alamo Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) targeted occupations
list.  Eight of the top ten largest
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 wage
records, public higher education enrollment records in fall 2002, Department of
Human Services public assistance records, and Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Over 69 percent (1,568) were found working only.  Another 8.7 percent (197) were working
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 4th Qtr. 2002 with average quarterly earnings of
$5,756.  Almost 60 percent of
non-graduates were found employed in 4th Qtr. 2002 with average
quarterly earnings of $2,872.

There was a dramatic reduction in public assistance among
Project QUEST participants.  Of the
180 graduates who were receiving TANF prior to Project QUEST, only 24 (13.3%)
were on TANF in FY 2003.  Of the 442
graduates receiving Food Stamps prior to Project QUEST, only 148 (33.5%) were
receiving Food Stamps in FY 2003.
Only 52 (25.6%) of the 203 non-graduates receiving TANF prior to Project
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 demonstrated
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 employment
persistence over time.

Project QUEST Inc.

Inc. is a job-training program that started in San Antonio, Texas in 1992.  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.

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 also
the city of San Antonio.  Project
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 wages
and eventual homeownership contributing to the city’s tax base.

Project QUEST Inc. uses sectored employment strategies.  That is, they target occupations within 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 Foundation (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, maintenance
& repair.  Project QUEST Inc.,
participants earn either a certificate or an associate’s degree in one of
these career clusters.  For example,
in healthcare, a participant may pursue a degree as a dental hygienist, a registered
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 clusters
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 recognized by
the J.P. Morgan Chase Enterprise Foundation with the “Award for Excellence
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 between
23 percent and 40 percent an hour after graduating (Smith, Wittner, Spence
& Kleunen, 2002).  Additionally,
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 findings
have been documented in other job training programs using sectored employment
strategies.  Finally, the Workforce
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 benefits,
another important component of self-sufficiency (Smith, Wittner, Spence &
Kleunen, 2002).  Benefits help
employees stay employed longer because they do not need to leave a job to
access public benefits in an emergency.
This differs from work-first programs where participants tend to cycle
in and out of employment.

The Labor Market and Career Information department (LMCI) is
following-up a Project QUEST Inc. cohort to further document the achievements
of participants who receive occupational or skills-based education and
training.  It is commonly documented
that those with higher levels of education enjoy higher median earnings.  Because education and training programs
are more expensive than work-first programs (which focus on participants
getting a job, any job, as quickly as possible to accelerate their labor force
attachment), it is important to separate occupational or skills-based education
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 develop
occupational skills that can help them land a skilled position (Smith, Wittner,
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 System
(ASALFS) provides follow-up services to publicly funded programs to help
document the achievements of former program participants and provide data for
program planning and continuous improvement.

LMCI received a total of 2,412 unduplicated records (seed
records) of Project QUEST participants from 1993 to 2002.  An analysis of the records show (Table
1) that fifty three percent (53 percent) of participants received occupational
training and graduated, and forty five percent (45 percent) did not graduate.  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 resume
writing, job search, interview skills, job retention skills, etc.  BRS services are considered outside of
the primary mission of Project QUEST.   Project QUEST staff have requested
these records be excluded from analysis.
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 Completion
Status

Year of Exit

Exiters

Completion
Status

Occupational
Training Graduate

Non-Graduate

BRS Only

(No Training)

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 cell 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 nationally 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 Related
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 percent)
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 contain a
valid CIP code.  These are labeled
“Other Fields” in Table. 2.
According to Project QUEST staff, these participants were served outside
of their primary mission and should be excluded from the study.  These records will also be excluded from
any computations of performance in the results section of the report (see Table
5 for a list of records excluded).

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

Field of Study

N

Graduate

Non-Graduate

BRS Only

Avg. Amount Invested[1]

n

%

n

%

n

%

$

HEALTH
PROFESSIONS AND RELATED SCIENCES

1,189

796

66.9%

393

33.1%

0

0.0%

$10,148

BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES

346

165

47.7%

181

52.3%

0

0.0%

$7,675

BASIC
SKILLS

204

0

0.0%

179

87.7%

25

12.3%

$3,019

COMPUTER
AND INFORMATION SERVICES

186

54

29.0%

131

70.4%

n/a

0.5%

$8,714

MECHANICS
AND REPAIRERS

139

102

73.4%

37

26.6%

0

0.0%

$7,534

OTHER
FIELDS

109

51

46.8%

48

44.0%

10

9.2%

$4,144

ENGINEERING
RELATED TECHNOLOGIES

98

37

37.8%

60

61.2%

n/a

1.0%

$8,883

CONSTRUCTION
TRADES

55

30

54.5%

25

45.5%

0

0.0%

$3,838

TRANSPORTATION
AND MATERIAL MOVING WORKERS

27

22

81.5%

5

18.5%

0

0.0%

$2,887

SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGIES

22

n/a

13.6%

19

86.4%

0

0.0%

$8,184

HOME
ECONOMICS

16

6

37.5%

10

62.5%

0

0.0%

$9,581

PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION SERVICES

10

5

50.0%

5

50.0%

0

0.0%

$5,651

LAW AND
LEGAL STUDIES

5

n/a

40.0%

n/a

60.0%

0

0.0%

$2,370

PROTECTIVE
SERVICES

n/a

n/a

50.0%

n/a

50.0%

0

0.0%

$5,628

AGRICULTURE
BUSINESS AND PRODUCTION

n/a

n/a

100.0%

n/a

0.0%

0

0.0%

$11,786

VISUAL 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 determine
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 after
exit to determine the post-exit employment measure also provides the former
participant enough time to find a job.
Subsequent snapshots are taken one year, three years and 5 years after
exit to determine the long terms effects of education and training.

Please use the following definitions in reading the
subsequent tables:

Q-1      =
pre-Project QUEST UI quarter

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

Q+4     =
one year after exit

Q+6     =
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 wage
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=2,119) who exited from 1993 to 2001 had data
for the entire longitudinal study period (Q-1, Q+2, Q+4, Q+6). Participants
(N=2,252) who exited from 2001 to 2002 had data for three time periods (Q-1,
Q+2,Q+4).  The most recent cohort
from 2002 had data for computing baseline employment rate only (Q-1, Q+2).  Attachment 2 shows the UI wage record
quarters that were used for linkages to determine pre- and post-exit employment
data.

According to Project QUEST records, 383 (15.9 percent)
participants were receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and
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 reductions 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

Numerator:

Grad=1,276

Non-Grad/BRS=1,136

Pre-Training

Post-Exit

FY 2003

Graduate

Non-Graduate

Graduate

Non-Graduate

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 records
from 2000-2002 only.  It is possible
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

Calendar Year

Number Deceased

2002

9

2001

8

2000

na

1993 – 1999

Not Available

Total

20

na denotes a cell size less than 5.

Seed records also were linked to Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board (THECB) public postsecondary master enrollment (ME) records
in Fall 2002 to determine if any former participant was pursuing postsecondary
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 labor
market.  Table 5 breaks down these
records by career track and completion status.  A total of 2,259 unique records were
analyzed.

Participants
who are deceased (17).

Participants
who did not receive training (BRS) (27).

Participants
who received non-Project QUEST services (58).

Participants
in bridge programs only (24).

Participants
who received services in supportive housing only (23).

Participants
who received continuing education or objective assessment only (na).

Table 5.  Seed Records Analyzed

Seed Records

N

Unduplicated
SSNs

2,412

Records Excluded from analyses

Deceased
only

Deceased

<17>

Other
Tracks (Track 84)

Grads

Non-Grad

Deceased

<33>

<23>

<2>

Bridge
Program (Track 88)

Grads

Non-Grad

<11>

<13>

Supportive
Housing Program (Track 93)

Grads

Non-Grad

BRS

<6>

<7>

<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 System
(ASALFS) attempts to document the widest possible range of results by linking
with an ever increasing number of resource databases likely to contain
information about former participant’s post-exit achievements.  However, due to limitations in available
data, the reader in interpreting results should keep the following in mind:

Linkages
with the Texas UI database will identify all individuals employed in
positions covered by the Texas Unemployment Insurance Compensation Act
(TUCA).  Persons “not
found” may have obtained employment in positions not covered by this
act (e.g. contract labor, persons who are self-employed).

The
follow-up system cannot currently locate persons who pursue higher
education at either in-state private institutions (e.g. Baylor University,
Texas Christian University) or in out-of-state institutions, public or
private.

Persons
“not-found” also could be unemployed Texas residents who are
not pursuing higher education.
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.

No
attribution can be made concerning the employment status or education
pursuits of persons for whom LMCI was unable to obtain an outcome
linkage.  The “not
found” category is presumed to reflect persons in each of the above groups.

Earnings
figures listed on this report are for reported wages for the target
quarter.  The follow-up system
is unable to determine if the person is working full-time, and is unable
to determine if the person was employed during the entire quarter through
standard linkages with UI records.
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.

For
some tables, small numbers of persons are reflected.  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 labeled
“n/a.”

Results

The results of record linkages are shown in the report card
in Table 6.  LMCI was successful in
documenting post-exit results for over eighty percent (80.4 percent) of former
Project QUEST participants.  The
largest group of former participants was found working only (69.4
percent).  Close to nine percent
(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-Exit
Results

N

Percent 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 completing
their field of training were employed in greater numbers (78 percent) and had
higher average quarterly earnings ($5,756) than those who did not
complete.  Over fifty nine percent
(59.4 percent) of non-graduates are employed with average earnings of $2,872 per
quarter.  Clearly those graduating
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 Completion
Status

Completion
Status

N

Working Only

Percent of
Working Only

Avg. Quarter
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 achieved
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 training
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 Alamo
LWDB Adult population served by WIA because these groups closely resemble each
other in participant characteristics, i.e. unemployed or underemployed, low
income, TANF/Food Stamps, single parent.   Both programs also employ similar
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 graduated
achieved higher employment and average quarterly earnings than Alamo LWDB WIA
Adult participants who received training.   However, Alamo LWDB WIA Adults 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 had
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

Project QUEST
Exiters

Percent

Working

Average
Quarterly Earnings

Alamo LWDB

2001-2002 WIA Exit Cohort

Percent 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]

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 school.  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.

Completion
Status

N

Working and in
School

Percent of
Working and in School

Avg. Quarter
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

All Working

Percent
of All Working

Avg. Quarter Earnings

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.
Two quarters after exit, employment among graduates increased
significantly along with substantial earnings gains.  This table shows only graduates who 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 participants
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 are
participating in Project Quest as opposed to unemployed.  Participants who were unemployed prior
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 Unemployed Prior
to Project Quest

Exit
Year

Total N

Not
working in Q-1

% Not
Working in Q-1

Working
in Q+2

%  Working in Q+2

Avg.
Qtr. Earnings at Q+2

1993

na

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

0

1994

50

27

54.0%

22

81.5%

$4,133

1995

230

110

47.8%

91

82.7%

$4,691

1996

98

50

51.0%

32

64.0%

$4,851

1997

123

57

46.3%

50

87.7%

$4,913

1998

120

66

55.0%

56

84.8%

$4,318

1999

145

65

44.8%

59

90.8%

$5,391

2000

120

48

40.0%

40

83.3%

$5,916

2001

155

55

35.5%

46

83.6%

$6,700

2002

176

58

33.0%

48

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 while
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 graduate were
employed prior to participating in the program.  Table 14 shows the employment rates 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 than
those who graduated.

Table 14.  Non-Graduates Who
Were Unemployed Prior to Project Quest

Exit
Year

Total N

Not
working in Q-1

% Not
Working in Q-1

Working
in Q+2

%
Working in Q+2

Avg.
Qtr. Earnings at Q+2

1993

51

24

47.1%

12

50.0%

$1,977

1994

155

78

50.3%

45

57.7%

$2,250

1995

157

89

56.7%

49

55.1%

$2,516

1996

48

24

50.0%

13

54.2%

$3,206

1997

70

24

34.3%

20

83.3%

$1,628

1998

69

35

50.7%

16

45.7%

$2,297

1999

143

60

42.0%

32

53.3%

$3,232

2000

93

34

36.6%

21

61.8%

$2,811

2001

158

41

26.0%

26

63.4%

$3,331

2002

97

26

26.8%

11

42.3%

$2,198

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

Table 15. 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

Still Employed at Q+4

N

%

Avg. Qtr. Earnings (a)

N

%

Avg. Qtr. Earnings (b)

1993

na

na

100.0%

$5,780

na

100.0%

$6,886

$1,106

1994

50

43

86.0%

$3,732

39

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

91.9%

$5,684

$749

1997

123

106

86.2%

$5,106

95

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 gains
from Q+2 to Q+4 for non-graduates.
Although employment persistence and earnings gains continued to improve
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 gains 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 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

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 explain
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 employment
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 enrolling 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 $1,336.

The most common industries post-exit is a stark contrast to
those before Project QUEST.  Prior
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 post-exit
were General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, and Nursing Care Facilities with
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.

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 in 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 Common
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 and
are well on their way to achieving self-sufficiency.

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

Top 10 Industries of Employment at
Q+4

N

Avg. Qtr. Earnings

Top 10 Industries of Employment 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 programs
of study.  There was little change
in the mix of industries but there were some earnings increases probably due to
seniority.

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-graduates
from Q+2 to Q+4.  There was little
change in the top ten industries indicating industry resilience and
demonstrating some measure of employer satisfaction.  The continuing trend of small earnings
gains also indicates employer satisfaction with the former participants, albeit
in primarily lower skilled jobs.

Table 23.  Top 10 Most Common
Industries of Non-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

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 Common
Industries of Non-Graduates Post-Exit (Q+4 - Q+6), 4-digit NAICS

Top 10 Industries of Employment at
Q+4

N

Avg. Qtr. Earnings

Top 10 Industries of Employment 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 job
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 targeting are
done using SOCRATES (http://socrates.state.tx.us).  SOCRATES is an online tool developed by
TWC and is widely used by local boards for labor market planning and
targeting.

Table 25 shows the top ten occupationally specific fields 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 participants
were consistently on the targeted list.
The fourth column of the table contains a flag (Y=yes, N=no) to indicate
the presence of a particular field of study on the targeted list of occupations
in the Alamo LWDB for FY 2003.  Post
exit employment of Project QUEST graduates in all fields of study whether they
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 more
information).

Key
occupation in a targeted industry.

Good
employment growth prospects.

Wages
above LWDB goal.

Education
time within LWDB goal.

Available
training providers in the area.

Successful
board placement history.

Non-traditional
occupation for male or female.

Local
wisdom or other rationale.

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

One metric in measuring program
performance is to establish a direct relationship between the field of training
and the occupation after exit.  An
employer follow-up survey is required to collect the occupational title.  LMCI has conducted a similar survey in
the past and developed a methodology to determine the relationship between
training and occupations.  However,
employer follow-up surveys are expensive and with the small number of Project
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 suggest
some correlation between the field of study and the industries of
employment.  However, this table in
no way suggests that the training received is directly related to the
occupations of former Project QUEST participants.  As mentioned above, it is difficult 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.
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 percentages 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 Completion
Status

Completion
Status

N

Enrolled

Percent 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 shown
in Table 27.  It is not surprising
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.
There was little migration to institutions of higher education outside
of San Antonio.

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

Institution

N

Percent of All
Enrolled

Percent 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 pursuing
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 have
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

Percent of All
Enrolled

Percent 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, General

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 were
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 that
can be used to supplement the results of this study.

Table 29.  Participants Not
Located by Completion Status

Completion
Status

N

Not Located

Percent 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-focused,
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 public
assistance.

Post-exit results achieved by Project QUEST participants
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 participants
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 makes
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 step to
help ensure employment of Project QUEST participants upon exit.

Recommendations

Link
seed records to U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Office of Personnel
Management, U.S. Postal Service, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice
to more completely document post-exit results.

Include
Project QUEST seed records in any future employer follow-up survey to
determine the relationship between training and occupations.

Project
QUEST should contract with an external evaluator specializing in return on
investment (ROI) calculations to do an in-depth study of the economic
impact of Project QUEST.

References

Project QUEST Inc.

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

publications/websites/annual2001/pv-story01.asp

Smith,
W., Wittner, J., Spence, R., Kleunen, A.V.
(September, 2002).  Skills
training works: Examining the evidence.
The Workforce Alliance. [On-line].
Available (6/2/2003): http://www.workforcealliance.org/Skills%20Training%20Works%20

Report.pdf

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

2   - Registered Nurse

3   - Occupational Therapy

4   - Radiography Tech.

5   - Respiratory Therapy Tech.

6   - Medical Records Tech.

7   - HSA - Medical Transcriber

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

25  - Logistics Management Tech.

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

33  - CAD/CAM/CIM Tech.

34  - Construction Acctg/Appr.

35  - Truck Driver

36  - Computer Maintenance Tech.

37  - Database Specialist

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.

50  - Child Care Tech.

51  - Computer Programmer

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

60  - Heating, Vent., Air Cond.

61  - Interior Design

62  - Criminal Justice

63  - Fire Science

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

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

88  - Bridge Program

89  - Computer Help Desk Specialist

90  - Basic Education Training

91  - Network Operator Tech.

92  - Aircraft Sheetmetal (DeeHoward)

93  - Supportive Housing Pgm.

94  - Aircraft Structural (Boeing)

95  - Aircraft Gas Turb Eng (StdAero)

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 Quarters
Based on Enrollment Date

Post- Exit UI Wage Quarters Based
on Termination Date

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

293

191

193

293

9

493

294

494

393

68

293

393

9

194

394

195

493

45

393

493

32

294

494

295

194

50

493

194

25

394

195

395

294

20

194

294

49

494

295

495

394

100

294

394

64

195

395

196

494

4

394

494

71

295

495

296

195

64

494

195

93

395

196

396

295

64

195

295

97

495

296

496

395

0

295

395

145

196

396

197

495

0

395

495

57

296

496

297

196

50

495

196

47

396

197

397

296

24

196

296

45

496

297

497

396

80

296

396

30

197

397

198

496

36

396

496

27

297

497

298

197

145

496

197

40

397

198

398

297

46

197

297

80

497

298

498

397

93

297

397

55

198

398

199

497

28

397

497

45

298

498

299

198

106

497

198

56

398

199

399

298

63

198

298

61

498

299

499

398

98

298

398

65

199

399

100

498

7

398

498

20

299

499

200

199

80

498

199

50

399

100

300

299

40

199

299

86

499

200

400

399

64

299

399

153

100

300

101

499

41

399

499

36

200

400

201

100

57

499

100

45

300

101

301

200

79

100

200

30

400

201

401

300

183

200

300

105

101

301

102

400

64

300

400

48

201

401

202

101

81

400

101

66

301

102

302

201

45

101

201

72

401

202

402

301

43

201

301

184

102

302

103

401

9

301

401

20

202

402

203

102

19

401

102

65

302

103

2119

202

2

102

202

68

402

203

302

4

202

302

150

103

2252

total

2412

402

10

203

Total

2412

Attachment 3

Top field of study
by industry of employment

Field of Study

N total

Industry of Employment

N working

Avg. Qtr. Earnings

Licensed
Practical /Vocational Nurse Training (LPN, LVN, Cert, Dipl, A

487

Nursing
Care Facilities

108

$6,402

General
Medical and Surgical Hospitals

78

$5,085

Offices of
Physicians

25

$4,784

Home
Health Care Services

21

$4,774

Community
Care Facilities for the Elderly

16

$6,712

Employment
Services

14

$3,024

Psychiatric
and Substance Abuse Hospitals

14

$6,218

Outpatient
Care Centers

10

$5,942

Residential
Mental Retardation, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities

7

$3,695

Total
Found Employed

404

$5,034

Nursing -
Registered Nurse Training (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

216

General
Medical and Surgical Hospitals

144

$9,087

Outpatient
Care Centers

9

$8,559

Nursing
Care Facilities

6

$7,037

Total
Found Employed

189

$8,333

Administrative
Assistant and Secretarial Science, General

180

Employment
Services

17

$2,643

Junior
Colleges

8

$2,685

Total
Found Employed

130

$3,305

Basic
Skills, General

177

Employment
Services

12

$2,301

Limited-Service
Eating Places

7

$2,287

Nursing
Care Facilities

6

$2,752

Total
Found Employed

117

$2,557

Computer
Systems Networking and Telecommunications

120

Employment
Services

10

$4,829

Junior
Colleges

9

$4,302

Business
Support Services

7

$2,315

Total
Found Employed

87

$4,427

Customer
Service Support

71

Depository
Credit Intermediation

13

$3,243

Total
Found Employed

54

$2,693

Medical/Clinical
Assistant

61

Offices of
Physicians

17

$3,829

Total
Found Employed

49

$3,312

Airframe
Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician

54

Aerospace
Product and Parts Manufacturing

32

$7,386

Total
Found Employed

46

$6,008

Renal/Dialysis
Technologist/Technician

50

Outpatient
Care Centers

11

$4,334

Nursing
Care Facilities

8

$3,501

Total
Found Employed

36

$3,094

Accounting
Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping

50

Employment
Services

8

$2,677

Total
Found Employed

39

$3,678

[1] The
average amount invested is computed from the seed record variable called
“total dollar investment.”
The average amount is the sum of all the values in the “total
dollar investment” field, aggregated by field of study and divided by the
number of persons within the field of study regardless of completion status.

[2] These
WIA Adult participants may have received other services such as job search and
placement assistance that might have aided their employability.