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Vocational vs. General Education and Employment over the Life Cycle: New Evidence from PIAAC

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  • Hampf, Franziska
  • Wößmann, Ludger

Abstract

It has been argued that vocational education facilitates the school-to-work transition but reduces later adaptability to changing environments. Using the recent international data of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), we confirm such a trade-off over the life cycle in a difference-in-differences model that compares employment rates across education type and age. An initial employment advantage of individuals with vocational compared to general education turns into a disadvantage later in life. Results are strongest in apprenticeship countries that provide the highest intensity of industry-based vocational education.

Suggested Citation

  • Hampf, Franziska & Wößmann, Ludger, 2017. "Vocational vs. General Education and Employment over the Life Cycle: New Evidence from PIAAC," Munich Reprints in Economics 49889, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:lmu:muenar:49889
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

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