| This study uses meta-analysis, a technique that statistically
synthesizes diverse studies, to synthesize the effects of 31 evaluations
of 15 voluntary government training programs for the disadvantaged that
operated in the United States between 1964 and 1998. The 15 programs were
quite diverse. They used different types of training, including structured
job search, remedial education, classroom vocational or skills training,
on-the-job training (OJT), and subsidized employment in the public or
private sector. Some of the programs were national in scope, but others
were limited to specific geographical areas. Some were based on random
assignment, but other evaluation designs were also used. Meta-analysis
provides information that cannot be found in individual evaluations or
in other types of syntheses. Syntheses that have not used meta-analysis
have focused more on the overall effectiveness of the programs than on
the factors that bcause one program to be more effective than another.
At best, individual evaluations indicate whether particular programs “worked,”
but they provide very limited information on why they were effective,
for whom they were most effective, and the economic conditions under which
they were most effective. The objective of the research described in the
report is to explore which training types are most effective, the sorts
of people for whom they are most effective, and the circumstances under
which they are most effective.
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