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Coding Bootcamps for Female Digital Employment : Evidence from an RCT in Argentina and Colombia

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  • Aramburu,Julian
  • Goicoechea,Ana
  • Mobarak,Ahmed Mushfiq

Abstract

This paper evaluates the short-term causal effects of a high-quality, intensive, part-timecomputer coding bootcamp for women on skill acquisition and employment outcomes. Spots were offered in an oversubscribedcoding course to a random subset of applicants in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Bogotá, Colombia. The applicants whowere chosen received a scholarship that covered most of the tuition costs of the course. Follow-up data collectedshortly after the bootcamp ended indicate that the program increased participants’ coding skills, as well as theirprobability of finding a job in technology. Compared with other jobs, technology jobs are more likely to offerflexible hours and work-from-home arrangements, and generate higher job satisfaction. These results are interpreted as animprovement in overall job quality. Moreover, the paper compares the employment situation of the sample before andduring the first months of the COVID-19 outbreak. The evidence indicates that the program increased participants’resilience to a downturn in the labor market.

Suggested Citation

  • Aramburu,Julian & Goicoechea,Ana & Mobarak,Ahmed Mushfiq, 2021. "Coding Bootcamps for Female Digital Employment : Evidence from an RCT in Argentina and Colombia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9721, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9721
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    References listed on IDEAS

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