JTPA emphasizes state and local government responsibility for administering federally funded job training programs. The program objectives are to increase earnings and employment and to reduce welfare dependence for participants of all ages. During the fourth and fifth years, the treatment group had higher earnings than the control group, but these differences too were not statistically significant. Employment Rates of Participants Not Significantly Greater Than Control Group Employment Rates After 5 Years

As with earnings, employment rates of those assigned to receive JTPA training were not significantly greater than employment rates of control group members 5 years after assignment. Conclusions

Though both long-term earnings and employment rates for NJS treatment groups surpassed those for their respective control groups, the differences did not meet our test for statistical significance. GAO Comments

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Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO compared the long-term earnings and employment rates for Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) participants with those for non-participants.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) JTPA participants receiving training had significantly higher earnings and employment rates than non-participants during the early stages of the program; and (2) annual earnings and employment rates for adult and youth JTPA participants increased after 5 years of participation, but the differences were not statistically significant.