Participation in the Transition Assistance Program and job placement outcomes of U.S. veterans

Studies have found that veterans have higher levels of unemployment than civilians. In an effort to counter this, the Department of Defense, Department of Labor and Department of Veterans Affairs created the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). This study analyzed 1,477 individuals from the Current Population Survey who identified themselves as veterans who either attended or did not attend a Transition Assistance Program workshop. The study intended to determine if there was a difference between the employment outcome of veterans who attended the workshops and those who did not. Chi-Square was utilized in order to determine if there was a relationship between TAP attendance and employment success. The study found significance in regard to which demographic groups attended TAP workshops; however, there did not seem to be a relationship between TAP attendance and employment success. Additionally, questions assessing participants’ opinions regarding ways TAP was helpful and ways that TAP could be improved were explored with some significant findings.