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Skill achievement and returns in developing countries: evidence from adult skills surveys

Using novel adult skills surveys, this article analyses cross-country patterns in skill achievement and labour mark ... Show more
Using novel adult skills surveys, this article analyses cross-country patterns in skill achievement and labour market returns, comparing the outcomes for a subset of developing countries with the results previously found for high-income economies. Apart from displaying lower average cognitive skills, developing countries also exhibit wider disparities in levels of skills by subgroups of educational attainment, gender, and parental education. Meanwhile, baseline estimates of returns to skills reveal that a one-standard deviation increase in literacy skills is associated with an earnings increase of 14.6 per cent in developing countries, which is statistically indistinguishable from the average returns of 17.7 estimated for developed countries. Nonetheless, there is considerable heterogeneity in the returns across developing countries, with the lowest estimates found in Armenia and Ukraine at 2 per cent (not statistically significant) and 6 per cent, respectively, and the highest reported in Kenya at above 30 per cent. Differences in the type of employment opportunities and the degree of employment selection in these labour markets are important determinants of the observed gap in returns. International comparisons of returns should take this into consideration.
Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Authors: Chua, Kenn

Date: 2017

Geographic subjects: Armenia; Bolivia; Colombia ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Article

Journal title: European journal of education: research, development and policy

Subjects: Skills and knowledge; Employment; Income
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An educated choice: expanding Australia's education, training and research engagement with Latin America

Latin America has become an increasingly important region for Australia's international education sector. Brazil an ... Show more
Latin America has become an increasingly important region for Australia's international education sector. Brazil and Colombia are both now in the top ten source countries for international students, with enrolments from the region growing particularly strongly in the vocational education and training (VET) and English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sectors. This growth in student numbers, coupled with increasing institutional partnerships and research collaboration, has drawn renewed attention to Australia's education, training and research relationships with the diverse countries that make up Latin America. The Australian education, training and research landscapes are large and varied, encompassing multiple stakeholder groups, perspectives and experiences. Moreover, the term 'Latin America' hides the many and significant differences between the various countries which make up the region. Well over 200 Australian stakeholders from the education, training, research, industry and government sectors took part in the Working Group's consultations, demonstrating a widespread interest in the potential for greater engagement with Latin America. The recommendations in the report are intended to ensure the momentum that has been generated through this process is not lost and that all stakeholders can work together to position Australia as a committed and beneficial partner for Latin America as the region continues to grow in global importance for education, training and research.
Contents of the report: (1) Overview of Latin America; (2) Current levels of engagement; (3) Perceptions of Australia; (4) Opportunities and barriers; and (5) Recommendations and the way forward.
Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

Corporate authors: Council for International Education. Latin America Working Group (Australia)

Date: 2018

Geographic subjects: Australia; Oceania; Argentina ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Government report or paper

Subjects: International education; Students; Research
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Skill acquisition in the informal economy and schooling decisions: evidence from emerging economies

Informal jobs offer skill acquisition opportunities that may facilitate a future switch to formal employment for yo ... Show more
Informal jobs offer skill acquisition opportunities that may facilitate a future switch to formal employment for young workers. In this sense, informal training on the job may be a viable alternative to formal schooling in an economy with a large and diverse informal sector. In this paper, [the author investigates] if these considerations are relevant for the schooling decisions of young individuals using panel data on 17 Latin American countries as well as micro-level data for Turkey. Specifically, [the author asks] if the prevalence of informal jobs distort schooling attainment. [The author concentrates] on three measures of schooling outcomes: (1) secondary education enrollment rate, (2) out-of-school rate for lower secondary school, and (3) tertiary education graduation rate. [The author finds] that the secondary education enrollment rate is negatively correlated with the size of the informal economy, while the out-of-school rate is positively correlated. This means that informal training on the job may be crowding out school education in developing countries. The tertiary education graduation rate, however, is positively correlated with the size of the informal sector, which implies that a large informal economy induces college attendance for those who are more likely to succeed. Policies that can potentially affect the size of the informal sector should take into consideration these second-round effects on aggregate schooling outcomes.
Published abstract. Show less

Authors: Tumen, Semih

Date: 2015

Geographic subjects: Turkey; Asia; Argentina ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: MPRA paper

Subjects: Skills and knowledge; Economics; Employment ... [+] Show more
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Labor policy and digital technology use: indicative evidence from cross-country correlations

This is a technical background paper for the regional study, 'Technology adoption and inclusive growth: impacts of ... Show more
This is a technical background paper for the regional study, 'Technology adoption and inclusive growth: impacts of digital technologies on productivity, jobs and skills in Latin America' [report available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 132.497]. The paper exploits variation in country-level indicators drawn from published data to analyze the relationship between labor regulation and the use of digital technology. The analysis shows a statistically and economically significant association between digital technology use by firms and a country's statutory minimum wage and employment protection regulations. The results are robust to the inclusion of controls for level of development, economic stability, available infrastructure, and trade openness. To ensure the broadest country coverage, the paper develops new indexes of employment protection, using the World Bank's Doing Business indicators, which allow several aspects of labor market regulation - such as restrictions on hours and hiring, dismissal procedures, and severance costs - to be analyzed separately.
Published abstract with additional information. Show less

Authors: Packard, Truman; Montenegro, Claudio E.

Date: 2017

Geographic subjects: South America; North America; Argentina ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: World Bank policy research working paper

Subjects: Technology; Industry; Labour market ... [+] Show more
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Harnessing the potential of ICTs for literacy teaching and learning: effective literacy and numeracy programmes using radio, tv, mobile phones, tablets, and computers

The examples of literacy and numeracy programmes included in this compilation confirm that the use of [information ... Show more
The examples of literacy and numeracy programmes included in this compilation confirm that the use of [information and communications technologies] ICTs to support the acquisition and further development of reading, writing and numeracy skills is usually part of broader blended learning strategies. Traditional classroom teaching and learning approaches are complemented by self-directed learning, where learners can practice and progress at their individual pace, at their own time, and in different places. These strategies contain also possibilities for learners to interact with each other and share the learning experience from different places. A number of programmes featured in this selection are enabling learners to connect with each other and exchange information about health, nutrition, religion and other important day-to-day topics or to coordinate their community development activities. These inspiring programmes arose from different cultural backgrounds and are transferable to a variety of contexts.
Excerpt from publication. Show less

Authors: Hanemann, Ulrike

Date: 2014

Geographic subjects: Africa; Cabo Verde; Kenya ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Technology; Research; Literacy ... [+] Show more
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W4Y country summaries

To assist member states in building a knowledge base on youth employment, the ILO has designed the school-to-work t ... Show more
To assist member states in building a knowledge base on youth employment, the ILO has designed the school-to-work transition survey (SWTS). The SWTS is a unique survey instrument that generates relevant labour market information on young people aged 15 to 29 years. The survey captures longitudinal information on transitions within the labour market, thus providing evidence of the increasingly tentative and indirect paths to decent and productive employment that today's young men and women face.
These short country summaries present the main findings of two rounds of school-to-work transition surveys (SWTS) along with a selection of key output tables.
Edited excerpts from publications and publisher's website. Show less

Corporate authors: International Labour Office (ILO)

Date: 2015-

Geographic subjects: Peru;

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: Work4Youth publication series

Subjects: Youth; Employment; Labour market ... [+] Show more
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Educational upgrading and returns to skills in Latin America: evidence from a supply-demand framework, 1990-2010

It has been argued that a factor behind the decline in income inequality in Latin America in the 2000s was the educ ... Show more
It has been argued that a factor behind the decline in income inequality in Latin America in the 2000s was the educational upgrading of its labor force. Between 1990 and 2010, the proportion of the labor force in the region with at least secondary education increased from 40 to 60 per cent. Concurrently, returns to secondary education completion fell throughout the past two decades, while the 2000s saw a reversal in the increase in the returns to tertiary education experienced in the 1990s. This paper studies the evolution of wage differentials and the trends in the supply of workers by educational level for 16 Latin American countries between 1990 and 2000. The analysis estimates the relative contribution of supply and demand factors behind recent trends in skill premia for tertiary and secondary educated workers. Supply-side factors seem to have limited explanatory power relative to demand-side factors, and are only relevant to explain part of the fall in wage premia for high-school graduates. Although there is significant heterogeneity in individual country experiences, on average the trend reversal in labor demand in the 2000s can be partially attributed to the recent boom in commodity prices that could favor the unskilled (non-tertiary educated) workforce, although employment patterns by sector suggest that other within-sector forces are also at play, such as technological diffusion or skill mismatches that may reduce the labor productivity of highly-educated workers.
Abstract from IZA website. Show less

Authors: Gasparini, Leonardo; Galiani, Sebastian; Cruces, Guillermo; Acosta, Pablo A.

Date: 2011

Geographic subjects: Argentina; Bolivia; Brazil ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: IZA discussion paper

Subjects: Outcomes; Income; Higher education ... [+] Show more
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International student recruitment: policies and developments in selected countries

This report aims to provide an overview of international student recruitment and mobility policies by national gove ... Show more
This report aims to provide an overview of international student recruitment and mobility policies by national governments in key recruiting and recruitment countries, and to identify the emerging implications of these developments for the Netherlands. The report is targeted at Dutch early-career policymakers at national and institutional levels, early-career marketing officers and researchers in the area of international student mobility. The report consists of four chapters. Chapter one sets out the focus of this study and gives an overview of the main factors that influence international student mobility. Chapter two analyses national government policies and strategies for international student recruitment in 11 countries that are active in international student recruitment. These countries include the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and China. Chapter three describes national student mobility policies and the local context in recruitment countries that are (or may become) particularly important to the Netherlands. These countries are Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Egypt. Chapter four offers the conclusions of this study.
Excerpt from publication. Show less

Authors: Becker, Rosa; Kolster, Renze

Date: 2012

Geographic subjects: Netherlands; France; Germany ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Subjects: Policy; Students; Higher education ... [+] Show more
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Unlocking apprenticeship potential in small and medium enterprises

This report was compiled under the ILO's research project, Apprenticeship Development for Universal Lifelong Learni ... Show more
This report was compiled under the ILO's research project, Apprenticeship Development for Universal Lifelong Learning and Training (ADULT), funded by the Government of Flanders. The project aims to explore how apprenticeship systems are being modernised and transformed to promote and enable lifelong learning and decent work for youth, adults, and older workers (both employed and unemployed). This research paper explores the status of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that offer apprenticeship opportunities in various countries, the reasons for the low participation of enterprises with especial reference to developing and developed countries and the various factors which affect the participation of enterprises in apprenticeship. It also highlights the experiences and lessons learned from the initiatives taken by various countries in encouraging employers to participate in the apprenticeships.
Edited excerpt from publisher's website. Show less

Authors: Grollmann, Philipp; le Mouillour, Isabelle; Wittig, Wolfgang

Date: 2022

Geographic subjects: Germany; Europe; Colombia ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Report, paper or authored book

Series name: Apprenticeships Development for Universal Lifelong Learning and Training project

Subjects: Lifelong learning; Apprenticeship; Industry ... [+] Show more
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How TVET teachers foster employability skills: insights from developing countries

Despite the diversity of views in the literature about what employability skills are, there appears to be general a ... Show more
Despite the diversity of views in the literature about what employability skills are, there appears to be general agreement that employability skills are important. However, there are concerns about whether [technical and vocational education and training] TVET graduates in developing countries are developing these skills and the onus falls upon TVET teachers to ensure they do so. In this qualitative study, 35 TVET teachers from 19 developing countries were interviewed to learn how TVET teachers foster the employability skills of learners. Data collected were transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings show that the well-published notion that TVET teachers in many developing countries do not make efforts to impart employability skills to their students could be brought into question. Results of this study show that TVET teachers use various techniques to foster employability skills in their TVET learners. Continuous professional development of TVET teachers to ensure quality graduate outcomes is recommended.
Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Authors: Okolie, Ugochukwu Chinonso; Elom, Elisha N.; Igwe, Paul A.; Nwajiuba, Chinyere Augusta ... [+] Show more

Date: 2020

Geographic subjects: Afghanistan; Argentina; Bangladesh ... [+] Show more

Resource type: Article

Journal title: International journal of training research

Subjects: Vocational education and training; Providers of education and training; Skills and knowledge ... [+] Show more

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