Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine
Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance
Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust
Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine
Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History
Luxembourg Centre for European Law
Luxembourg Centre for Socio-Environmental Systems
From Skills to Jobs: The Impact of Training on Employment in Senegal
Abstract
In low and middle income countries (LMICs), labour markets are dominated by informal work and skills mismatches that hinder access to decent employment. This paper investigates whether Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) can bridge this gap by equipping individuals with market-relevant skills. Focusing on Senegal, a country with a young, rapidly growing labour force and widespread informality, we combine nationally representative data from the National Employment Survey of Senegal (Enquête Nationale sur l’Emploi au Sénégal, ENES) for the period 2015–2023 with a newly assembled geocoded registry of TVET centres. We estimate the causal effects of TVET participation on employment and informality using an instrumental variable approach that takes advantage of spatial variation in access to training. Our findings suggest that TVET increases the likelihood of employment, in particular for women, and significantly reduces informal labour, in particular for men. The effects are more pronounced for certification programs and in underserved regions. These results underscore the importance of expanding certifying training opportunities, and reducing geographic barriers to access. Our study provides timely evidence for policy makers seeking to use TVET as a tool to promote inclusive development of the labour market in sub-Saharan Africa.
Language
English
This is a free seminar. Registration is mandatory.