Empowering Women in Opportunity Jobs: An Evaluation of Female-Focused Training in Male-Dominated Industries

Last registered on April 06, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Empowering Women in Opportunity Jobs: An Evaluation of Female-Focused Training in Male-Dominated Industries
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018235
Initial registration date
April 01, 2026

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
April 06, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Alexia Delfino
Affiliation
Bocconi University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Eleonora Brandimarti
PI Affiliation
University of Glasgow
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PI Name
Raffaella Sadun
PI Affiliation
Harvard Business School
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PI Name
Jorge Tamayo
PI Affiliation
Harvard Business School
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-03-01
End date
2027-12-31
Keywords
Firms & Productivity, Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We evaluate the effectiveness of firm-sponsored training programs aimed at improving the performance and wellbeing of women employed in the construction industry. While technological advancements are increasingly reducing the importance of physical strength requirements, leading to the emergence of high-potential job opportunities suitable for women, female participation in this industry remains low. Partnering with one of the largest construction firms in Colombia, we will assess whether and how female-focused training programs enable women to thrive in the sector. In particular, we ask whether exposure to female peers and the provision of soft skills training in addition to standard technical training modules improve the retention, performance, and overall job satisfaction of female workers. The project will generate valuable insights for the design of effective workforce development programs, with practical implications for a variety of industries facing labor shortages, technology-induced changes in occupational opportunities, and low female participation.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Brandimarti, Eleonora et al. 2026. " Empowering Women in Opportunity Jobs: An Evaluation of Female-Focused Training in Male-Dominated Industries ." AEA RCT Registry. April 06. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18235-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2026-06-01
Intervention End Date
2026-12-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Outcome data will be collected through a combination of surveys and administrative data from our partner company.
We aim to measure the following outcomes:
- learning outcomes (knowledge from training programs) and training attendance rates/engagement
- performance / absenteism / productivity
- task allocation
- career advancement
- retention
- beliefs about the job/sector/company
- views on gender, peer interactions (e.g., informal mentoring)
- social networks
- job satisfaction and well-being

[Further details on the exact outcomes will be provided right before the start of the intervention.]
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We aim to implement a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) to identify the causal mechanisms through which female-focused training programs and soft skills training affect workers’ outcomes. We embed an intervention within the recruitment and training (at entry) pipeline of our partner construction company. We hypothesize that occupational gender segregation reflects, at least in part, womens’ limited access to information and skills that are relevant to the job. Job-relevant learning can occur through peer groups and networks, through training, or both. Therefore, we designed a training program with a higher density of women and/or modules focused on soft skills that could facilitate long term navigation of professional settings beyond current occupational needs.

The treatments result from randomizing along two dimensions:
• Dimension 1—Variation in group gender composition: Admitted trainees are sorted into cohorts that either have a high or low share of female participants.
• Dimension 2—Variation in training content: Admitted trainees are randomized into receiving soft skills training, in addition to the technical training received by the company at entry.

[Further details on the exact design will be provided right before the start of the intervention.]
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
In office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Participants will include between 1,350 and 1,500 workers, of whom at least 350 women.
Sample size: planned number of observations
As above
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
We will equally distribute participants across treatment arms.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Heartland IRB
IRB Approval Date
2025-12-12
IRB Approval Number
HIRB project No. 112725-1284
Analysis Plan