Given research on the returns to education,1 we asked employment counselors and program managers about longer-term training. After defining longer-term training as training that may last a few weeks, a few months, or even longer, we asked what makes a participant a good candidate for long-term training.
Outcomes Data by Training Program
The occupation participants train for depends on multiple factors, most important of which are the participant's interest and ability. Whether the occupation is in demand in their region is another important factor, as is the amount of training required (especially if the participant has limited financial support).
For instance, the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) training necessary to enter the Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers occupation is short-term and relatively inexpensive. The classroom training required to enter the Registered Nurses occupation is longer-term and more costly.
Consistently among the most popular is the Registered Nurses occupation, which has noticeably better than average outcomes (especially in income change). DEED's Labor Market Information Office has previously studied reported worker shortages in this occupation.
Training by Program PollChart
Additional Information on Outcomes Data by Training Program
These figures show average outcomes among the following groups:
Participants who engaged in credentialed training, regardless of the occupation they trained for
Participants who engaged in credentialed training in one of the top six most popular occupations trained for
The top six most popular occupations trained for are specific to the workforce development program (Dislocated Worker or Adult) and are specific to the region (Southern MN, Twin Cities Metro, Central MN, or Northern MN). Note that these graphs do not show outcomes among those who received training in an occupation and were then employed in that same occupation, although that analysis is possible for future iterations of this tool.
Resources Related to Training Programs
In addition to several articles on the subject of education and employment outcomes2,3,4,5,DEED's Labor Market Information Office (LMI) hosts a series of data tools around employment projections and openings. A select few are listed here. For more information visit the LMI data tools website.
Career Profile - Find a wide range of occupational information: wages, demand, education, job opportunities, and more.
Employment Outlook - Industries and occupations projected to grow over the next decade in Minnesota.
Graduate Employment Outcomes - How are recent graduates doing? Find employment and wage outcomes by region, institution type, degree, year, and program.
Hout, M., "Social and Economic Returns to College Education in the United States," Annual Review of Sociology 38 (2012): 379-400.
Dickson, M. and Harmon, C., "Economic Returns to Education: What We Know, What We Don't Know, and Where We Are Going - Some Brief Pointers," Economics of Education Review 30.6 (2011): 1118-1122.
Brand, J. and Xie, Y., "Who Benefits Most from College? Evidence for Negative Selection in Heterogeneous Economic Returns to Higher Education," American Sociological Review 75.2 (2010): 273-302.
