Assessing the Impact of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) in Ghana

Last registered on September 08, 2017
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Assessing the Impact of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) in Ghana
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0001948
Initial registration date
September 07, 2017

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
September 08, 2017, 2:17 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
September 08, 2017, 2:20 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country
Ghana
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Isaac Mbiti
Affiliation
University of Virginia
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Morgan Hardy
PI Affiliation
NYU Abu Dhabi
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PI Name
Jamie McCassland
PI Affiliation
University of British Columbia
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2012-08-30
End date
2018-06-01
Keywords
Education, Labor
Additional Keywords
Youth unemployment, vocational training, apprenticeships, labor market outcomes
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Abstract
This study seeks to estimate the effects of completing an apprenticeship on labor market and other outcomes in Ghana. It includes three nested randomizations, the first of which randomly offered applicants entry into an apprenticeship coordinated by the National Apprenticeship Program (NAP). The second randomization placed treatment applicants from the first randomization with interested firms, conditional on applicant interest and geographic feasibility. This design allows us to experimentally explore how outcomes vary with firm characteristics. The third assigned a random half of training NAP apprentices from the second randomization to a program which provided cash incentives to firm owners conditional on apprentice performance on a skills test.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Hardy, Morgan, Isaac Mbiti and Jamie McCassland. 2017. "Assessing the Impact of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) in Ghana." AEA RCT Registry. September 08. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.1948-2.0
Former Citation
Hardy, Morgan, Isaac Mbiti and Jamie McCassland. 2017. "Assessing the Impact of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) in Ghana." AEA RCT Registry. September 08. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/1948/history/21293
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Apprenticeship training in garments, cosmetology, carpentry, welding, or blocklaying.
Intervention Start Date
2013-11-01
Intervention End Date
2015-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The main outcomes of interest are labor market related: wage or self employment, earnings, labor supply, migration, and characteristics of wage or self employment. Other outcomes include trade skills, marriage and fertility, and mental health and wellness.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The study contains three nested randomizations, the first of which randomly offered applicants entry into an apprenticeship coordinated by the National Apprenticeship Program (NAP). The second randomization placed treatment applicants from the first randomization with interested firms, conditional on apprentice preferences and geographic proximity. The third assigned a random half of training NAP apprentices from the second randomization to a program which provided cash incentives to firm owners conditional on apprentice performance on a skills test. A set of about 300 additional "priority" applicants to the first randomization, who were hand-selected by district officials and guaranteed a place in the program, were also included in the second and third randomizations and will be part of the sample targeted by the endline survey. Sample numbers and further detail in this trial registration refer only to the first/primary randomization, and exclude "priority" applicants.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
We created an electronic randomization tool which contained pre-populated information regarding the breakdown of treatment slots available per district and trade, and then divided applicants into treatment and control groups. Pre-populated digitized NAP application form data was included, and the actual randomizations were then done electronically in each district with district officials in attendance.
Randomization Unit
Individual, stratified by district and trade
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
The treatment was not clustered.
Sample size: planned number of observations
Total endline target sample: 3,947; Of these experimentally included in the first/primary randomization: 3,599
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Treatment: 2,031 individuals Control: 1,568 individuals
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IPA IRB
IRB Approval Date
2012-08-30
IRB Approval Number
563.12August-004
IRB Name
UBC IRB
IRB Approval Date
2015-11-13
IRB Approval Number
H15­02708
IRB Name
UVA IRB
IRB Approval Date
2016-01-28
IRB Approval Number
2015000700
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials