Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Human Services
Advisor
Gregory Hickman
Abstract
People who do not have a high school diploma or equivalent often find it difficult to financially provide for themselves and their family. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 provides career counseling to U.S. youth ages 16-24 as they obtain job training and work on their general equivalency diploma (GED). Although researchers have examined different aspects of the program, they have not yet explored the experiences of participants. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand the experiences of WIOA participants who earned their GED and worked with their career counselor to achieve their goals. Social cognitive theory was used to understand how career development relates to a person’s commitment to reach their career goal. Data were obtained by interviewing 10 previous WIOA participants who earned their GED and gained employment; participants, who participated in North Carolina’s WIOA program, were recruited using purposeful sampling. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. Seven themes emerged: barriers and decisions related to environment, family as a barrier and support, career attainment and satisfaction, school-related barriers, goal setting and values, barriers related to criminal activity, and WIOA benefits and recommendations. Further research from the WIOA career counselors’ point of view could provide additional insights on the program. This study’s implications for positive social change include furthering WIOA career counselors’ understanding of effective strategies to help participants gain employment. The study may also inform program participants of how to work with WIOA counselors to achieve their goals.
Recommended Citation
Jones, Asia, "Career Attainment in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Program" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12731.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12731
