Authors:Chris RiddellW. Craig Riddell
This working paper examines the extent and nature of educational upgrading among participants in the Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP) and the effect that increases in educational attainment had on the employment, earnings, and reliance on welfare among these long-term welfare recipients.
The study shows that there is a substantial amount of educational upgrading among single parents on welfare. SSP program group members acquired less additional education than their counterparts in the control group. One possible explanation is that SSP encouraged full-time employment leaving less time for acquiring additional education. Those who upgraded their education generally achieved larger gains in employment and wage rates than did their counterparts who did not acquire additional education, the study concludes.
Published: March 2006
Capability: Experimentation
Policy Area: Income Security - Welfare and Employment
Population: EI Recipients - Low-income Populations - Low-skilled Workers - Social Assistance Recipients - Women - Communities and Families
Type: Working paper