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Labour market effects of the polytechnic education reform: The Finnish experience

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  • Böckerman, Petri
  • Hämäläinen, Ulla
  • Uusitalo, Roope

Abstract

This paper evaluates the labour market effects of the introduction of the polytechnic education system in Finland. The polytechnic reform gradually transformed former vocational colleges into polytechnics. Since the timing of the reform differed across schools, we can compare the performance of polytechnic graduates to the performance of vocational college graduates controlling for both the year and the school effects. The results are somewhat sensitive to how the selectivity issues are treated but generally suggest that both the earnings and the employment levels of post-reform graduates are higher in the field of business and administration. The effects are much smaller and usually insignificant in other fields.

Suggested Citation

  • Böckerman, Petri & Hämäläinen, Ulla & Uusitalo, Roope, 2009. "Labour market effects of the polytechnic education reform: The Finnish experience," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 672-681, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:28:y:2009:i:6:p:672-681
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    1. Petri Böckerman & Mika Haapanen, 2013. "The effect of polytechnic reform on migration," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 26(2), pages 593-617, April.
    2. Böckerman, Petri & Haapanen, Mika & Jepsen, Christopher, 2019. "Back to school: Labor-market returns to higher vocational schooling," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    3. Celeste K. Carruthers & Christopher Jepsen, 2020. "Vocational Education: An International Perspective," CESifo Working Paper Series 8718, CESifo.
    4. Petri Böckerman & Mika Haapanen, 2013. "Does higher education enhance migration?," Working Papers 287, Työn ja talouden tutkimus LABORE, The Labour Institute for Economic Research LABORE.
    5. Gomez, Juan & Vassallo, José Manuel, 2015. "Evolution over time of heavy vehicle volume in toll roads: A dynamic panel data to identify key explanatory variables in Spain," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 282-297.
    6. Boccanfuso, Dorothée & Larouche, Alexandre & Trandafir, Mircea, 2015. "Quality of Higher Education and the Labor Market in Developing Countries: Evidence from an Education Reform in Senegal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 412-424.
    7. Petri Böckerman & Mika Haapanen & Christopher Jepsen, 2018. "Labor-Market Returns to Higher Vocational Schooling," CESifo Working Paper Series 7197, CESifo.
    8. Orlanda Tavares & Cristina Sin & Carla Sá & Francisco Pereira & Alberto Amaral, 2023. "Graduate employment: Does the type of higher education institution matter?," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(4), pages 1140-1156, October.
    9. Böckerman, Petri & Haapanen, Mika, 2010. "The effect of education on migration: Evidence from school reform," MPRA Paper 27629, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Virolainen, Maarit & Stenström, Marja-Leena, 2014. "Finnish vocational education and training in comparison: Strengths and weaknesses," International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training (IJRVET), European Research Network in Vocational Education and Training (VETNET), European Educational Research Association, vol. 1(2), pages 81-106.
    11. Mika Haapanen & Petri Böckerman, 2017. "More educated, more mobile? Evidence from post-secondary education reform," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(1), pages 8-26, January.
    12. Juan Gomez & José Manuel Vassallo, 2020. "Has heavy vehicle tolling in Europe been effective in reducing road freight transport and promoting modal shift?," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 865-892, April.
    13. Polidano, Cain & Tabasso, Domenico, 2016. "Fully integrating upper-secondary vocational and academic courses: A flexible new way?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 117-131.
    14. Saara Vaahtoniemi, 2021. "The finance wage premium: Finnish evidence from a gender perspective," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 35(3), pages 412-431, September.
    15. Böckerman, Petri & Haapanen, Mika & Jepsen, Christopher, 2015. "Back to School? Labor-Market Returns to Vocational Postsecondary Education," IZA Discussion Papers 9079, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Juan Gomez & José Manuel Vassallo & Israel Herraiz, 2016. "Explaining light vehicle demand evolution in interurban toll roads: a dynamic panel data analysis in Spain," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 677-703, July.
    17. Khan, Suhrab & Ali, Kazim, 2024. "Who demands technical and vocational education in Pakistan? A PSLM analysis of socio-economic determinants," International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training (IJRVET), European Research Network in Vocational Education and Training (VETNET), European Educational Research Association, vol. 11(2), pages 250-284.

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions

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