Improving the Quality of Apprenticeships for Youth and Firms in Benin

Last registered on March 07, 2025

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Improving the Quality of Apprenticeships for Youth and Firms in Benin

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0015496

Initial registration date

March 05, 2025

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

March 07, 2025, 8:15 AM EST

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

Locations

Country

Benin

Region

Primary Investigator

Name

Mathilde Sage

Affiliation

UCLouvain

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Patrick Prémand

PI Affiliation

World Bank

Contact Investigator

PI Name

Bruno Crépon

PI Affiliation

CREST - J-PAL

Contact Investigator

PI Name

Thomas Escande

PI Affiliation

Eval-Lab

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

On going

Start date

2023-09-15

End date

2026-03-30

Keywords

Education, Firms & Productivity, Labor

Additional Keywords

Employment, Apprenticeship, Training, Dual Training, Vocational Training, Business training, Skills, Micro- and Small Enterprises, Field Experiment, Africa.

JEL code(s)

D22, J23, J24, O12, C93

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

Traditional (on-the-job) apprenticeship is one the most common forms of training in Africa, especially for low-qualified youth. Apprentices are also a major source of labor for micro and small firms, particularly within the informal sector. However, little is known on how policies could enhance the quality of apprenticeship to accelerate skill acquisition for youth and improve firm performance. The study implements a nationwide randomized controlled trial in Benin to assess the impact of three types of interventions: (i) a dual apprenticeship training for youth – which combines technical training, traditional on-the-job training and the possibility to pass a national exam and receive formal certification to signal skills on the labor market , (ii) a master craft person (MCP) training to improve training quality in firms, (iii) and a combination of both. The study will document whether the MCP training enhances MCP’s skills and training quality in firms, as well as whether the interventions affect firm size (by accelerating the exit of apprentices or attracting new ones) and performance. The study will also document the effects of each intervention on apprentices' technical skills, participation in apprenticeship, employment status, and earnings.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Crépon, Bruno et al. 2025. "Improving the Quality of Apprenticeships for Youth and Firms in Benin ." AEA RCT Registry. March 07. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15496-1.0

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

The intervention includes three treatment arms: (i) a dual apprenticeship training, (ii) a training for MCPs, and (iii) the combination of the two.
The dual apprenticeship training is a program where apprentices receive traditional on-the-job training from a mastercraftsperson (MCPs) in a micro or small (often informal) firm, supplemented by technical training in professional, government-run training centers. This training includes modules on technical skills and entrepreneurship. Several ten-days sessions are scheduled over three years, culminating in a Professional Qualification Certificate (CQP).
The second treatment is targeted at MCPs and includes three components: pedagogical training, technical training to modernize their skills, and business training designed to help develop firm activities.
The third treatment combines the dual apprenticeship training and the MCP training.

Intervention Start Date

2024-01-06

Intervention End Date

2025-03-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

We will measure outcomes at the youth/apprentice level, at the MCP level and at the firm level.

-Apprentice level:
(i) Human capital investment: Participation in apprenticeship; completion of apprenticeship, certification type (any, informal (CQM), formal (CQP)), technical skills; index of complexity of tasks performed in primary occupation, soft skills, satisfaction with apprenticeship, satisfaction/dissatisfaction regarding relations with MCP
(ii) Time spent in the firm related to training. training received, task performed in line with training
(iii) Employment : share of youth working and type of occupation (wage, self-employment,...), hours worked (separately in wage, self-employment and apprenticeship)
(iv) Earnings: from apprenticeship, wage and self-employment, transitions in the labor market
(v) Mental health; aspirations
(vi) Expectations
(vii) savings

-MCP level:
(i) MCP’s human capital: technical, pedagogical and business skills
(ii) Quality of the apprenticeship training provided: time spent with the apprentices; pedagogical methods; monetary investment in the training, opportunity cost of training

-Firm level:
(i) number of apprentices who entered or left the firm since the start of the program; number of employees; cost of training apprentices
(ii) profits; investments;...

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

The study is a large-scale RCT. Working with the government agency (FODEFCA), we first identify a pool of 1785 firms (with 25 or fewer apprentices), with at least one apprentice who signed up to participate in the CQP and successfully passed a basic French and Maths test. Second, we randomly assigned firms into four groups: three treatment groups and one control group. The randomization was stratified at the geographic and trade level. Each strata contains at least 12 firms.

In firms allocated to treatment group 1, apprentices are offered participation in the dual apprenticeship training. In firms allocated to treatment group 2, MCPs are offered the MCP training. Firms in treatment group 3 are offered both the apprentice and MCP treatments. Finally, apprentices and MCPs in the control group do not participate in the program.

We estimate the causal impact of each treatment arm by comparing the outcomes of apprentices, MCPs and firms in each treatment group with those in the control group. We also intend to make comparisons between treatment arms to understand the relative effects of each treatment (and their combination).

Experimental Design Details

Not available

Randomization Method

The randomization was done in office by a computer to create four groups of firms and then a public lottery took place to assign each group to a treatment or control group.

Randomization Unit

The unit of randomization is the firm.

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

1785 firms

Sample size: planned number of observations

3567 apprentices and 1686 MCP

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

We randomly drew four groups among the 1785 eligible firms:

(i) control group: 446 firms
(ii) treatment 1: 447 firms
(iii) treatment 2: 446 firms
(iv) treatment 3: 446 firms

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name

Paris School of Economics Institutional Review Board

IRB Approval Date

2024-04-05

IRB Approval Number

2022-011

Analysis Plan