I exploit exogenous variation in the proximity of vocational and general high schools in France to estimate the causal effects of access to each type of upper secondary education. I analyse educational attainment and labor market outcomes.
We run a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which final-year students and teachers from Italian vocational high schools were offered training on job-finding strategies. The evaluation of employment outcomes is currently ongoing.
This paper examines earnings differences between first-generation and continuing-generation college graduates across 23 OECD countries using data from the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). In all but one of the countries analysed, first-generation graduates earn less than their peers from college-educated families, with an average gap across all countries of approximately 8%. We investigate potential mechanisms behind this result and find that first-generation graduates are less likely to pursue postgraduate education, more likely to hold vocational degrees, and tend to have lower numeracy competence. These findings highlight the need for policy interventions to enhance educational mobility and promote equality of opportunity.