Vocational education voucher delivery and labor market returns: a randomized evaluation among Kenyan youth

This brief summarizes the results of a gender impact evaluation study, entitled Vocational education voucher delivery and labor market returns: a randomized evaluation among Kenyan youth, conducted during the time period covered fees for a training course lasting up to two years in Kenya. The study observed that the demand for vocational training and the impacts of the information intervention on institution and course selection, participant attendance, the short term impacts of training on labor market expectations and outcomes for a representative subset of program participants, and training center characteristics. Program take-up was high, with 74 percent of voucher winners attending a vocational training program for at least one term. Notably, there are no significant gender or age differences in take-up. Unrestricted voucher winners were more likely to attend vocational training, with participation rates at 79 percent compared to 69 percent for restricted voucher winners. Only 4 percent of the control group attended vocational training. Funding for the study derived from Bank-Netherland Partnership Program, Spanish Impact Evaluation Fund, GAP, Berkeley Population Center, International Growth Centre, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3IE)/Global Development Network, National Institutes for Health, National Science Foundation.