Job Search and Skills Development of Technical Vocational Education and Training Students: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh

Last registered on September 21, 2026

Pre-Trial

General Information

Title

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0019605

Initial registration date

September 05, 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

September 21, 2026, 7:15 AM EDT

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

Locations

Country

Bangladesh

Region

Primary Investigator

Name

Kate Vyborny

Affiliation

Duke University

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status

On going

Start date

2026-02-24

End date

2027-12-31

Keywords

Gender, Labor

Additional Keywords

JEL code(s)

J64, J16

Secondary IDs

Prior work

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

Abstract

Job search frictions — including limited access to information, weak networks, and skills mismatches — are significant barriers to employment for technical diploma graduates in low- and middle-income countries, with women facing additional constraints around mobility, household responsibilities, and discriminatory norms. In Bangladesh, employment outcomes for technical diploma graduates remain weak despite substantial government investment in technical and vocational education and training, and use of digital job search platforms is limited.

This study aims to identify scalable approaches to improving the school-to-work transition for technical diploma graduates in Bangladesh, with a particular focus on gender. The intervention introduces and trains final-year technical diploma students to use an online job matching platform, with continued support through AI-enabled job search tools. Using a randomized controlled trial design, we will estimate impacts on job search behavior and labor market outcomes, and examine differential effects by gender.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Vyborny, Kate. 2026. "Job Search and Skills Development of Technical Vocational Education and Training Students: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh." AEA RCT Registry. September 21. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19605-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

Job search training sessions were conducted at each participating institute between May and July 2026. Students in their 7th (penultimate) semester at each institute were invited to attend, and completed a self-administered baseline survey at the start of their session.

Students at institutes assigned to Control received a half-day workshop covering CV-making and job search strategies.

Students at institutes assigned to Base Treatment received the identical CV-making and job search strategy workshop, plus an additional session in which they were introduced to an online job matching platform and guided through creating an account. Following the training, Base Treatment students continued to receive support through the platform's AI-enabled tools.

Intervention Start Date

2026-05-07

Intervention End Date

2027-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Online job search
Offline job search

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

This study uses a cluster-randomized controlled trial. 137 technical diploma institutes in Bangladesh are randomly assigned to Base Treatment or Control, with roughly two-thirds of institutes assigned to treatment and one-third to control. Randomization is conducted at the institute level.

Control: Half day in-person CV-making and job search strategy workshop.

Base Treatment: Half day in-person CV-making and job search strategy workshop, identical to Control, plus an additional session teaching students how to use an online job matching platform. Students receive continued support through the platform's AI-enabled tools.

Outcomes are measured at the individual student level. A baseline survey is administered to all participants at the start of the workshop. The baseline survey collects data on basic demographics, job search and employment, labor market expectations and job preferences, agency, gender attitudes, and digital access and skills.

Experimental Design Details

Not available

Randomization Method

Randomization is conducted using Stata.

Randomization Unit

Randomization for Base Treatment was done at the level of the institute.

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

137 technical diploma institutes

Sample size: planned number of observations

3570 technical diploma students

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

95 institutes base treatment, 42 institutes base control

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

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name

Dhaka University

IRB Approval Date

2025-04-09

IRB Approval Number

FWA00026031

Analysis Plan