Does Vocational Education Work? Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Mongolia

43 Pages Posted: 23 Jul 2019 Last revised: 17 Oct 2024

See all articles by Erica Field

Erica Field

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business-Economics Group; Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative

Leigh L. Linden

The University of Texas at Austin; National Bureau of Economic Research; Jameel Poverty Action Lab; Innovations for Poverty Action; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA); Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD)

Ofer Malamud

University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Daniel Rubenson

Department of Politics, Ryerson University; Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN)

Shing-Yi B. Wang

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School

Date Written: July 2019

Abstract

This paper estimates the impact of admission to formal vocational secondary programs on labor market outcomes in Mongolia. We conducted public lotteries to allocate scarce slots for approximately 8,000 students who applied to oversubscribed trades in 10 vocational schools during 2010, 2011, and 2012. We find that admission to oversubscribed vocational schools in Mongolia led to significantly higher employment, and increased earnings for women. These positive impacts appear to be due to the acquisition of more skills in specific trades, greater work intensity, and increased employment opportunities in high-paying sectors.

Suggested Citation

Field, Erica and Linden, Leigh L. and Malamud, Ofer and Rubenson, Daniel and Wang, Shing-Yi B., Does Vocational Education Work? Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Mongolia (July 2019). NBER Working Paper No. w26092, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3423805

Erica Field (Contact Author)

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business-Economics Group ( email )

Box 90097
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HOME PAGE: http://sites.duke.edu/ericafield/

Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative ( email )

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Leigh L. Linden

The University of Texas at Austin ( email )

Austin, TX 78712
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HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

National Bureau of Economic Research ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

Jameel Poverty Action Lab ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

Innovations for Poverty Action ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD) ( email )

Duke University
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United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

Ofer Malamud

University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy ( email )

1155 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
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Daniel Rubenson

Department of Politics, Ryerson University ( email )

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Canada

Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) ( email )

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Stockholm, SE-102 15
Sweden

Shing-Yi B. Wang

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School ( email )

3641 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
United States

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