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The Pathways to College

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  • Agarwal, Lisha

    (University of Padova)

  • Brunello, Giorgio

    (University of Padova)

  • Rocco, Lorenzo

    (University of Padova)

Abstract

We estimate the effect of the high school curriculum (or track) on the returns to college using data from the Italian PLUS (Participation Labour and Unemployment Survey) survey. We find that college graduates with vocational high school are less likely to be employed than graduates with academic high school. When employed, they earn 7.3 percent less per hour but work 3.8 percent more hours per week. They are less likely to fill high ranked occupations and more likely to find their first job quickly after school completion than other graduates. The wage penalty associated to vocational education in high school is larger for females than for males and for those born in the less economically developed Southern regions.

Suggested Citation

  • Agarwal, Lisha & Brunello, Giorgio & Rocco, Lorenzo, 2019. "The Pathways to College," IZA Discussion Papers 12691, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12691
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    Cited by:

    1. Maria Esther Oswald-Egg & Ursula Renold, 2019. "No Experience, No Employment: The Effect of Vocational Education and Training Work Experience on Labour Market Outcomes after Higher Education," KOF Working papers 19-469, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    2. Brunello, Giorgio & Esposito, Piero & Rocco, Lorenzo & Scicchitano, Sergio, 2023. "Do Classical Studies Open your Mind?," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1242, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    3. Esposito, Piero & Scicchitano, Sergio, 2022. "Educational mismatch and labour market transitions in Italy: Is there an unemployment trap?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 138-155.
    4. Oswald-Egg, Maria Esther & Renold, Ursula, 2021. "No experience, no employment: The effect of vocational education and training work experience on labour market outcomes after higher education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    returns to college; high school curriculum; Italy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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