Absence of conflict of interest.
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of the National Career Coach Program (NCCP) on employment and earnings for transitioning veterans.
- The study was a randomized controlled trial that compared the outcomes of transitioning veterans who participated in an intensive employment program, the NCCP, to a control group of transitioning veterans who had access to standard employment services. The authors collected self-reported data on employment and earnings through telephone interviews. The authors used a statistical model to compare the outcomes of treatment and control group members.
- The study found that NCCP participants had significantly higher employment and significantly higher earnings than the control group at the 1-year follow-up.
- This study receives a high evidence rating. This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the National Career Coach Program (NCCP), and not to other factors.
Intervention Examined
Features of the Intervention
The National Career Coach Program (NCCP) aims to address the multi-faceted employment challenges faced by military personnel transitioning from military jobs to civilian employment. The NCCP includes a four-day in-person employment skills seminar, followed by up to 18 months of job coaching, a human capital fund to cover job-related expenses, and opportunities for participants to earn bonuses for employment. Each participant is assigned an individual mentor or coach for the skills seminar and job coaching.
Features of the Study
The study used a randomized controlled trial design to examine the impact of an intensive employment program, NCCP, on employment and earnings. Study participants included enlisted individuals seeking employment who were transitioning from at least 6 months of active military service, had an Honorable or General discharge, were under the age of 45, were within 6 months before separation (without civilian employment) or 12 months after separation (unemployed or working in short-term stopgap jobs), and receiving or applying for a service-connected disability rating from the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA).
Authors recruited a pool of prospective study participants through letters, social media, online sources, and word of mouth. A total of 229 participants met eligibility criteria; 115 were randomly assigned to the NCCP treatment group and 114 were randomly assigned to the control group. Study participants in the control group could access standard employment services, called Local Community Resources (LCR), which included referrals to three local service providers offering job training, financial assistance, paid work experiences, and rehabilitation services.
The authors collected data through telephone interviews. During the interviews, the authors used the Dartmouth Vocational Update Form to measure employment and earnings. The authors used a statistical model to compare the outcomes of treatment and control group members.
Findings
Employment
- The study found a positive, statistically significant relationship between NCCP participation and employment. NCCP participants were found to have significantly higher employment rates (90%) than the LCR control group (78%) at the 1-year follow-up.
Wages and earnings
- The study found a positive, statistically significant relationship between NCCP participation and earnings. NCCP participants were found to have earned $513 more per month and $6,130 more per year than the control group at the 1-year follow-up.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The study authors estimated multiple related impacts on outcomes related to employment and earnings. Performing multiple statistical tests on related outcomes makes it more likely that some impacts will be found statistically significant purely by chance and not because they reflect program effectiveness. The authors did not perform statistical adjustments to account for the multiple tests, so the number of statistically significant findings in these domains is likely to be overstated.