DIRECTIVE	:	TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 01-96
TO	:	ALL STATE JTPA LIAISONS ALL STATE WORKER ADJUSTMENT LIAISONS ALL ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER SYSTEM LEADS
FROM	:	BARBARA ANN FARMER Administrator for Regional Management
SUBJECT	:	SPIR National and State Data Books

1. Purpose. To transmit copies of the Program Year 1994 Standardized Program Information Reporting (SPIR) National and State Data Books.

2. Background. The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) is unique among social service initiatives in the amount of information gathered on its program participants. The Standardized Program Information Reporting (SPIR) system is a national automated data base which includes relevant information on individuals who exit most JTPA training programs in a given year--dislocated workers, older workers, and economically disadvantaged youth and adults.

   The SPIR data base includes nearly 630,000 individual records for program year 1993 and nearly 850,000 in program year 1994, making it unique in the amount of individualized data it provides to multiple users. The data were assembled from reports submitted by States to the Employment and Training Administration (ETA).

   Five categories of participant information are included in the database:

   • Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnic group, and persons with disabilities;

   • Wage data before and after participation in the program;

   • Training received by participants who left the program, such as basic education, classroom training, or on-the-job training;

   • Services provided such as counseling or job search services; and

   • Program results, such as who left the program for employment or who received employability enhancements, such as a GED or a certificate.

3. Data Books. SPIR national data books are available for PY 1993 and PY 1994. State data books are also available for PY 94. They contain more than 60 tables of information about the major subgroups in the large SPIR data base.

   The data books are divided into sections for each of the major JTPA programs covered: Title IIA, Title IIC, Title III, and Section 204(d) Older Workers. The tables in each section include 4-year historical trends, state-by-state counts, and breakouts and cross-tabulations of characteristics of terminees, services received, and outcomes obtained. There are also some cross-program summaries and supplementary information on JTPA performance standards, financial data, and national labor force statistics. Appendices include a table locator index, a glossary of terms, and the SPIR reporting instructions and definitions by which the data were collected from States.

4. CD-ROM. The SPIR data base is also available as a public-use quality CD-ROM file for PY 93 and for PY 94 (September 1996). It has been formatted for use with statistical analysis software such as SAS.

5. Expected Benefits. SPIR gives users a powerful tool for examining the characteristics and job training outcomes of particular participant subgroups. Such information is vital for successful program management and promoting continuous improvements in job training. For example:

   • SPIR can help users analyze what combination of training and services for specific subgroups of customers leads to high-paying jobs with benefits, at the state, regional and federal levels.

   • SPIR can identify the kinds of nontraditional jobs found by women who have completed high school or a GED;

   • SPIR can help identify whether local programs are able to replace the previous salary of dislocated workers who have been laid off for varying periods of time before they entered JTPA-sponsored training; and

   • SPIR can help identify general patterns of characteristics and outcomes across categories of individuals who have completed JTPA services or specific job training programs--such as older workers and youth.

     For States, this information is a useful management tool that identifies high- and low-achieving local service delivery programs and provides benchmarks for making continuous quality improvements throughout JTPA.

   SPIR also supports State, local community, and federal policy and management analysis by showing which services lead to retention in jobs up to three months after leaving JTPA. In doing so, users are better able to assess the needs of JTPA customers and create improved job training and employment programs.

6. Inquiries. Contact your Regional Office if you have any questions on the use of this information.

   Technical questions or requests regarding the SPIR system should be directed to Doug Scott at (202) 219-5487 ext. 111 or Valerie Lloyd at ext. 115, fax number (202) 219-5455.

7. Attachments. National and State SPIR PY 94 Data Books

NOTE: Attachments not available to DMS