Administrative Data Repository on the Skilled Technical Workforce

Overview

GW PSCWP affiliates began work in September 2021 on a contract from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to build a repository of metadata from administrative data sources on non-degree credentials for the skilled technical workforce. 

Metadata Repository

In collaboration with the Center for Regional Economic Competiveness, we built a searchable metadata repository to help researchers find and compare datasets containing information on credential attainment in skilled technical workforce occupations. The repository includes datasets focusing on specific types of credentials (e.g., RAPIDS on apprenticeship), special populations (e.g., WIOA PIRL for public workforce system participants), and datasets in which the credential or job posting is the unit of analysis (e.g., National Labor Exchange). Please see the notes in the first tab of the spreadsheet linked from the repository landing page for details on the organization of the metadata.

Data Quality Assessments

The team performed data qality assessments (DQAs) on selected datasets of value to researchers interested in non-degree credential attainment in the skilled technical workforce. Below we post full assessments and shorter executive summaries evaluating each dataset. Note that Colorado's roster of licensed practical nurses was selected as representative of state licensure rosters and the Maryland Noncredit Workforce Completers System was selected as representative of state noncredit data systems.

• WIOA Participant Indivdual Record Layout (PIRL): Full assessment | Executive summary
• Career OneStop Certification Finder: Full assessment | Executive summary
• Career OneStop License Finder: Full assessment | Executive summary
• Army COOL (Credentialing Opportunities Online): Full assessment | Executive summary
• TrainingProviderResults.gov: Full assessment | Executive summary
• National Labor Exchange Research Hub: Full assessment | Executive summary
• RAPIDS (Registred Apprenticeship Partners Information Data System):  Full assessment | Executive summary
• Census PSEO (Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes): Full assessment | Executive summary
• Colorado License Roster (Nursing): Full assessment | Executive summary
• Maryland Noncredit Workforce Completers System: Full assessment | Executive summary
• Credential Engine: Full assessment | Executive summary
• IPEDS (Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System): Full assessment | Executive summary

Personnel

• Andrew Reamer, Research Professor
• Kyle Albert, Assistant Research Professor
• Ziyuan Wang, Graduate Research Assistant
• Jack Karsten, Graduate Research Assistant
• Allison Forbes, Research Director, Center for Regional Economic Competiveness

Project Resources

• Slides from progress report presented to the NCRN, April 28, 2022 
• List of Federal Programs Facilitating Credential Attainment for the Skilled Technical Workforce compiled by Andrew Reamer
• Literature scan on approaches to evaluating the quaity of administrative datasets