An Econometric Analysis of the Effects of the Job Training Partnership Act on Self-Sufficiency

The primary purpose of the study is to investigate the likelihood of a Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) participant getting a job placement after receiving training, and to identifying the factors that affect the attainment of self-sufficiency (Bloom and Charles, 2001; Friedlander, 1988; Gueron and Edward, 1991). Additionally, the research study focuses on learning more about the determinants of the wage rate at the time when a participant gets a placement. This study has found that successful completion of training combined with prior work experience are the most important factors that affect the chance of getting a job placement. This finding is consistent with Eberts (2002) and Schexnayder et al. (1991). Furthermore, the results show that the most significant variables affecting self-sufficiency are (1) completion of long-term training and (2) reading ability. An additional finding of the study is that if the participant is a recipient of food stamps, then his/her probability of achieving self-sufficiency decreases. Our study’s main contribution is the identification of significant variables to be included in the development of workforce policies aiming at promoting economic self-sufficiency and mitigating poverty in Florida.