This report documents the Workforce Training Academy Connect (WTA Connect) program’s impact on education, employment, and earnings three years after participant study entry. Operated between 2012 and 2015 by Des Moines Area Community College, WTA Connect aimed to help low-skilled adults improve their basic math and reading skills to prepare them for occupational training in fields such as healthcare and advanced manufacturing. Program components include basic skills remediation, short-term occupational certificate training courses, and advising.
The evaluation assessed whether study participants randomly assigned to a group that could enroll in WTA Connect had better education and employment outcomes than a group that could not enroll but could use other employment and training services. The study found that WTA Connect had positive impacts on receipt of exam-based credentials and confidence in career knowledge. The program had no detectable impact on average quarterly earnings, employment, job quality, access to career supports, or family economic well-being.
WTA Connect is one of nine programs being evaluated under the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) project sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
See More PACE Reports
Healthy Military Families Undergird National Readiness
The only DoW-wide longitudinal study on U.S. military family health has generated vital evidence to inform programs, policies, and support services critical to family stability and force readiness.
Localised Solutions to Water Security in Papua New Guinea
Locally led infrastructure and governance approaches have stabilized access to clean water, supported schools and rural markets, and built long-term community ownership.
Joint Ventures & Small Business Partnerships
Through small business partnerships and joint ventures, we are able to expand our expertise, strengthen collaboration, and deliver greater impact for our clients.
Our Mission Impact Measurement Approach