{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.032668881506090805, 'fraction_numerical': 0.02547065337763012, 'mean_word_length': 5.385159010600707, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
THE EFFECT OF EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT PROGRAM PARTICIPATION ON MID-LIFE AND OLDER ADULTS IN A STATE


 BackgroundQuestions have been raised about the effectiveness of these government’s efforts as older people aged 50 or older are affected by restrictions to participate in the labor market. This study examined the impact of the total programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in a state on older participants. MethodsThe study used the Technical College System of Georgia data between 2016 and 2020, with 11,390 participants aged 50 or over. The outcome of the program participation was employment status. The participants’ characteristics consist of gender, race, age, earnings, and types of training they received. Bivariate analyses were performed to examine the relationship between the program’s outcome and individuals’ characteristics. ResultsIn 2016-2020, most older participants were female (60%), and they were African American (64%) and White (24%). Among the total participants (N=11,390), about 60% of older people received job training, and about 70 % of them completed their training. Many older participants received training in 1) health professions and related clinical sciences and 2) business, management, marketing, and related support services. A total of 3,143 older people succeeded in finding their jobs. As age increases, the probability of getting a job and wage increase in re-employed jobs decreases. Conclusion The study found that most older people participated in service profession-related training. Also, racial minorities were the majority of the participants, while the state’s racial majority was White. This suggests considering program development to enhance racial minorities’ job skills for increasing wages through the state’s job training programs.