IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wbk/wbrwps/9721.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

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

Author

Listed:
  • 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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/670761624977598623/pdf/Coding-Bootcamps-for-Female-Digital-Employment-Evidence-from-an-RCT-in-Argentina-and-Colombia.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David McKenzie, 2017. "How Effective Are Active Labor Market Policies in Developing Countries? A Critical Review of Recent Evidence," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 32(2), pages 127-154.
    2. Luc Behaghel & Bruno Crépon & Marc Gurgand & Thomas Le Barbanchon, 2015. "Please Call Again: Correcting Nonresponse Bias in Treatment Effect Models," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 97(5), pages 1070-1080, December.
    3. Francine D. Blau & Lawrence M. Kahn, 2017. "The Gender Wage Gap: Extent, Trends, and Explanations," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 55(3), pages 789-865, September.
    4. Alessandro Maffioli & David McKenzie & Diego Ubfal, 2023. "Estimating the Demand for Business Training: Evidence from Jamaica," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 72(1), pages 123-158.
    5. Duflo, Esther & Glennerster, Rachel & Kremer, Michael, 2008. "Using Randomization in Development Economics Research: A Toolkit," Handbook of Development Economics, in: T. Paul Schultz & John A. Strauss (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 61, pages 3895-3962, Elsevier.
    6. David S. Lee, 2009. "Training, Wages, and Sample Selection: Estimating Sharp Bounds on Treatment Effects," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 76(3), pages 1071-1102.
    7. Miriam Bruhn & David McKenzie, 2009. "In Pursuit of Balance: Randomization in Practice in Development Field Experiments," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(4), pages 200-232, October.
    8. Ernesto Reuben & Matthew Wiswall & Basit Zafar, 2017. "Preferences and Biases in Educational Choices and Labour Market Expectations: Shrinking the Black Box of Gender," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 127(604), pages 2153-2186, September.
    9. Orazio Attanasio & Arlen Guarín & Carlos Medina & Costas Meghir, 2017. "Vocational Training for Disadvantaged Youth in Colombia: A Long-Term Follow-Up," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(2), pages 131-143, April.
    10. Paloma Acevedo & Guillermo Cruces & Paul Gertler & Sebastian Martinez, 2017. "Living Up to Expectations: How Job Training Made Women Better Off and Men Worse Off," NBER Working Papers 23264, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Jesper Bagger & Fran?ois Fontaine & Fabien Postel-Vinay & Jean-Marc Robin, 2014. "Tenure, Experience, Human Capital, and Wages: A Tractable Equilibrium Search Model of Wage Dynamics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(6), pages 1551-1596, June.
    12. Linda J. Sax & Kathleen J. Lehman & Jerry A. Jacobs & M. Allison Kanny & Gloria Lim & Laura Monje-Paulson & Hilary B. Zimmerman, 2017. "Anatomy of an Enduring Gender Gap: The Evolution of Women’s Participation in Computer Science," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 88(2), pages 258-293, March.
    13. Felipe Barrera-Osorio & Adriana Kugler & Mikko Silliman, 2023. "Hard and Soft Skills in Vocational Training: Experimental Evidence from Colombia," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 37(3), pages 409-436.
    14. Ernesto Reuben & Matthew Wiswall & Basit Zafar, 2017. "Preferences and Biases in Educational Choices and Labour Market Expectations: Shrinking the Black Box of Gender," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 127(604), pages 2153-2186, September.
    15. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/7rep5mp5ij95l94ec64n5tdclp is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Valerie K. Bostwick & Bruce A. Weinberg, 2022. "Nevertheless She Persisted? Gender Peer Effects in Doctoral STEM Programs," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(2), pages 397-436.
    17. repec:hal:pseose:halshs-01245539 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Orazio Attanasio & Adriana Kugler & Costas Meghir, 2011. "Subsidizing Vocational Training for Disadvantaged Youth in Colombia: Evidence from a Randomized Trial," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(3), pages 188-220, July.
    19. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/7rep5mp5ij95l94ec64n5tdclp is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Harry Moroz & Mariana Viollaz, 2024. "The Future of Work in Central America and the Dominican Republic," World Bank Publications - Reports 42043, The World Bank Group.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Das, Narayan, 2021. "Training the disadvantaged youth and labor market outcomes: Evidence from Bangladesh," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    2. Chowdhury, Shyamal & Hasan, Syed & Sharma, Uttam, 2024. "The Role of Trainee Selection in the Effectiveness of Vocational Training: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Nepal," IZA Discussion Papers 16705, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. María laura Alzúa & Guillermo Cruces & Carolina Lopez, 2016. "Long-Run Effects Of Youth Training Programs: Experimental Evidence From Argentina," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 54(4), pages 1839-1859, October.
    4. Bhaskar Chakravorty & Arjun S. Bedi, 2019. "Skills Training and Employment Outcomes in Rural Bihar," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 62(2), pages 173-199, June.
    5. Da Mata, Daniel & Oliveira, Rodrigo & Silva, Diana, 2025. "Who benefits from job training programs? Evidence from a high-dosage program in Brazil," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    6. Elisabeth Grewenig & Philipp Lergetporer & Katharina Werner, 2020. "Gender Norms and Labor-Supply Expectations: Experimental Evidence from Adolescents," CESifo Working Paper Series 8611, CESifo.
    7. Livia Alfonsi & Oriana Bandiera & Vittorio Bassi & Robin Burgess & Imran Rasul & Munshi Sulaiman & Anna Vitali, 2020. "Tackling Youth Unemployment: Evidence From a Labor Market Experiment in Uganda," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(6), pages 2369-2414, November.
    8. Thomas Le Barbanchon & Diego Ubfal & Federico Araya, 2023. "The Effects of Working While in School: Evidence from Employment Lotteries," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 383-410, January.
    9. Alexia Delfino, 2024. "Breaking Gender Barriers: Experimental Evidence on Men in Pink-Collar Jobs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(6), pages 1816-1853, June.
    10. Le Barbanchon, Thomas & Ubfal, Diego & Araya, Federico, 2020. "The Effects of Working While in School: Evidence from Uruguayan Lotteries," IZA Discussion Papers 13929, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Chakravarty, Shubha & Lundberg, Mattias & Nikolov, Plamen & Zenker, Juliane, 2019. "Vocational training programs and youth labor market outcomes: Evidence from Nepal," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 71-110.
    12. Antoni, Manfred & Gerner, Hans-Dieter & Jäckle, Robert & Schwarz, Stefan, 2024. "When Women Learn That They Earn Less: The Gender Pay Gap in University Student Internships," MPRA Paper 122018, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Dreber, Anna & Heikensten, Emma & Säve-Söderbergh, Jenny, 2022. "Why do women ask for less?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    14. Girum Abebe & A Stefano Caria & Marcel Fafchamps & Paolo Falco & Simon Franklin & Simon Quinn, 2021. "Anonymity or Distance? Job Search and Labour Market Exclusion in a Growing African City [Endogenous Stratification in Randomized Experiments]," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 88(3), pages 1279-1310.
    15. Elaine Kelly & Isabel Stockton, 2024. "A senior doctor like me: Gender match and occupational choice," IFS Working Papers W24/11, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    16. David McKenzie, 2017. "Identifying and Spurring High-Growth Entrepreneurship: Experimental Evidence from a Business Plan Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(8), pages 2278-2307, August.
    17. Katharina Adler & Fabian Kosse & Markus Nagler & Johannes Rincke, 2025. "Earnings Expectations of “First-in Family” University Students and Their Role for Major Choice," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1221, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    18. Burbano, Vanessa & Padilla, Nicolas & Meier, Stephan, 2020. "Gender Differences in Preferences for Meaning at Work," IZA Discussion Papers 13053, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Stefan C. Wolter & Thea Zoellner, 2024. "Are parents an obstacle to gender-atypical occupational choices?," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0216, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    20. Helena Fornwagner & Monika Pompeo & Nina Serdarevic, 2023. "Choosing Competition on Behalf of Someone Else," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(3), pages 1555-1574, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9721. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Roula I. Yazigi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dvewbus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.