Date of Award

5-2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Executive Leadership

First Supervisor

Shannon Cleverley-Thompson

Second Supervisor

Bernard Ricca

Abstract

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs provide people with an opportunity to upgrade and develop skills in a fast-paced, rigorous, academic, and technical educational environment as opposed to traditional, post-secondary programs, which often take 2 years or more to complete. Sub-baccalaureate, short-term certificate training programs are accelerated programs designed to efficiently and quickly return individuals to the workforce. Nationwide, the dramatic increase in short-term educational certificates suggests careful consideration when distinguishing between certificate values based on program completion lengths, before- and after-employment incomes, and workforce development in the Western New York area. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between the before and after employment incomes of Western New York post-secondary graduates from noncredit-bearing, short-term CTE programs. The length of the programs and several demographic characteristics of the participants were also examined in relation to their income levels. The population consisted of a racially diverse group of students (N=490) who self-reported verifiable employment income after completing CTE shortterm programs. This study revealed a statistically significant positive association between post-graduation employment incomes and pre-enrollment employment and length of the program. Results also indicated a statistically significant positive association between post-graduation employment incomes with age and gender.

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