Randomized Control Trial Dual VET-Apprenticeship

Last registered on August 25, 2022
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Randomized Control Trial Dual VET-Apprenticeship
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0004653
Initial registration date
September 13, 2019

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 16, 2019, 1:57 PM EDT

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

Last updated
August 25, 2022, 6:50 AM EDT

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Thomas Bolli
Affiliation
ETH Zurich
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Mahesh Nath Parajuli
PI Affiliation
Kathmandu University
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PI Name
Ursula Renold
PI Affiliation
ETH Zurich
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PI Name
Johanna Kemper
PI Affiliation
ETH Zurich
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PI Name
Jiwak Raj Bajracharya
PI Affiliation
Kathmandu University
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PI Name
Niraj Poudyal
PI Affiliation
Kathmandu University
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PI Name
Patrick McDonald
PI Affiliation
ETH Zurich
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2019-09-09
End date
2024-09-01
Keywords
Education, Electoral, Labor
Additional Keywords
Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Dual VET-Apprenticeship
JEL code(s)
I21, J24
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This research project analyses the Dual VET-Apprenticeship component of the Enhanced Skills for Sustainable and Rewarding Employment (ENSSURE) project (http://enssure.org.np/), financed by the Swiss Development Agency (SDC) and implemented jointly by the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Nepal (Helvetas).

The Dual VET-Apprenticeship program lasts two years. The first three months and the last month consist of classroom education. The months four to 23 combine two days of classroom education with three days of workplace training each week. Upon successful completion, graduates receive the formal Technical School Leaving Certificate (TSLC).

To analyse the causal effect of the apprenticeship on the labor market situation, the research project randomizes applicants of the second cohort starting in November 2019. This cohort comprises training places for 960 apprentices.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bajracharya, Jiwak Raj et al. 2022. "Randomized Control Trial Dual VET-Apprenticeship." AEA RCT Registry. August 25. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.4653-3.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention consists of randomizing applicants for the limited places in the Dual VET-Apprenticeship.
Intervention Start Date
2019-11-01
Intervention End Date
2022-09-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Employment status
Income
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Working hours
Formal employment
Educational activity
Self-efficacy

Subsample analysis
Socioeconomic status: We hypothesize that applicants with low socioeconomic status profit more from receiving access to training.
Male vs Female: We hypothesize that women profit more.
Schools: We hypothesize that the effect is higher for schools with better linkages to the employment sector.
Occupations: We hypothesize that the effect is higher for occupations with higher skill demands and higher labor market shortage.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The randomization of applicants for the Dual VET-Apprenticeship is blocked by classes and gender. Classes are defined by school and occupation. In each block with sufficient over-subscription, 30% of applicants are in the control group and schools select apprentices from the remaining treatment group.

The planned duration of two years of the programme was extended due to School and Company closures during COVID-19.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
The randomization will be conducted in the presence of ENSSURE using Excel. For transparency reasons, the randomization will be videotaped.
Randomization Unit
Randomization takes place on the student level, blocked by school, occupation and gender.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
11 schools, 5 occupations, and gender yields 23 blocks since most schools offer one occupation with sufficient oversubscription and three school-occupations blocks have too few female applications.
Sample size: planned number of observations
The number of planned observations is 1412 applicants of which 446 become apprentices.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1412 applicants in 23 blocks yields an average of 61 applicants per block.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Assuming power of 0.8 an effect size variability of 0.1, an R2 of 0.25, and a non-response rate of 25% yields a MDES of 0.25.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
School of Education of the Kathmandu University
IRB Approval Date
2019-03-22
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan