Measurement Invariance of the Occupational Engagement Scale – Student and Career Adapt-Abilities Scale across Veterans and Civilians

Abstract

Veterans of the U.S. military experience unique difficulties when reentering the civilian workforce, which may inform their post-military career development in different ways than civilians. The purpose of this study was to examine the measurement invariance of the Occupational Engagement Scale-Student (OES-S) and the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-USA Form (CAAS) across adults with and without a military background. A sample of 418 U.S. military veterans and 411 civilians were recruited. Multiple group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) was used to examine factorial invariance of scores obtained from the OES-S and CAAS with veterans and civilians. Findings suggested the measures were invariant across veteran and civilian samples. These scales appear to measure the same constructs for veterans and civilians and can likely be used for veterans in both research and practice. Implications for career assessment and counseling are discussed.