Long-Term Effects of a Workforce Development Program during High School: Experimental Evidence from Genesys Works

• In Event: Understanding the Long-Run Effects of Career and Technical Education: An Examination of Impact, Mechanism, and Implementation

Abstract

Background:Traditional pathways from high school to economic stability are under increasing strain due to declining opportunities for workers without post-secondary credentials and rapid shifts in skill demand (Carnevale et al., 2016; Autor, 2022). Workforce development programs have been expanded as a policy response to these challenges, yet rigorous causal evidence on their long-term impacts remains limited. This paper presents findings from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Genesys Works (GW), a workforce development program serving low-income high school seniors in Chicago. We provide experimental evidence on the effects of the program on educational and labor market outcomes up to six years after expected high school graduation, providing a comprehensive assessment of post-secondary trajectories. Primary Research Questions:What is the effect of Genesys Works participation on labor market outcomes, specifically cumulative earnings and employment stability, up to six years after program completion?What is the effect of Genesys Works participation on post-secondary educational outcomes, including college enrollment, persistence, and degree attainment?Data:We link multiple administrative datasets to measure outcomes over a six-year horizon following expected high school graduation. College outcomes are drawn from National Student Clearinghouse records, while labor market outcomes are measured using Illinois Department of Employment Security wage records. Secondary academic outcomes (GPA, course failures, attendance) are obtained from Chicago Public Schools administrative data.Methods:We leverage a block-randomized controlled trial conducted in 2017 with 457 low-income high school seniors from 68 Chicago Public Schools. Students were randomly assigned to treatment (N = 232) or control (N = 225). The sample is predominantly first-generation, low-income students of color. The Genesys Works intervention combines four components: (1) an eight-week pre-senior-year workforce training, (2) a year-long paid internship (approximately 20 hours per week), (3) a college-access course, and (4) ongoing alumni support. We estimate intent-to-treat effects as the primary specification, supplemented by treatment-on-the-treated estimates.Findings:Preliminary results indicate no statistically significant intent-to-treat (ITT) effects on college enrollment, persistence, or degree attainment. College-going rates exceed 85% in both groups, suggesting a potential ceiling effect. In contrast, the program improves senior-year academic outcomes: participants have higher overall GPA (ITT: +0.143, p < 0.01) and are 8 percentage points less likely to fail a course (p < 0.01). Gains are concentrated in non-core coursework, with no significant effects on core GPA. Analysis of long-term labor market outcomes is ongoing, with preliminary results expected by the time of the conference.Conclusions:This study provides experimental evidence on the long-term effects of a high school workforce development program across educational and labor market outcomes. We find no significant impacts on college attainment, potentially reflecting high baseline college-going rates, raising the question of whether any workforce gains come at the expense of additional educational attainment. Ongoing analyses of earnings and employment stability will assess this directly. By leveraging randomized assignment and longitudinal administrative data, the study provides causal evidence on how workforce development programs shape postsecondary trajectories, with direct relevance for policies aimed at supporting economic mobility among under-resourced youth.

Author

• Salman Khan, The University of Chicago
  Presenting Author