The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research has published a new publication entitled The Workforce Investment Act: Implementation Experiences and Evaluation Findings, co-edited by Douglas J. Besharov and Phoebe H. Cottingham. This book examines Workforce Investment Act (WIA) objectives and the evidence on program performance and impact. The book is divided into five general sections: 1) understanding WIA, 2) program implementation, 3) performance management, 4) impact evaluations, and 5) future evaluation choices.
The Ray Marshall Center’s Chris King, with Burt S. Barnow from George Washington University, co-authured “The Use of Market Mechanisms“, the first chapter in the program implementation section. King and Barnow present key results concerning market and market-like mechanisms in the delivery of workforce services in the US. These mechanisms include labor market information (LMI), provider certification, individual training accounts (ITAs), and performance standards and incentives. The findings are based on WIA study conducted 2003-2005 that examined the experiences of eight states. The authors also provide a series of conclusions relevant to the use of market mechanisms, as well as recommendations for both the WIA reauthorization process and the European Social Fund.
The publication is available for purchase from the Upjohn Institute’s website.
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