Article Gold Open Access 2025

Labor market outcomes of formal vocational education and training: a meta-analysis

KJ
Kemper, Johanna
 AY
Au Yong Lyn, Audrey
 MP
McDonald, Patrick
 RU
Renold, Ursula
Education Economics
Journal
Abstract

This meta-analysis synthesizes 39 studies (1990–2022) on the effects of formal Vocational Education and Training (VET) on labor market outcomes using causal counterfactual methods. Using Hedges’ g and Robust Variance Estimation, we find that VET versus general education yields a small positive effect (g = 0.021), increasing employment by 4.8 percentage points (p.p.) but showing no impact on wages. Based on 27 studies, VET compared to an unrestricted control group, including individuals with no specific education type, shows a medium effect (g = 0.071), boosting employment by 11.7 p.p. and wages by 37.6 p.p. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Author Keywords

employment vocational education and training Wages meta-analysis Formal education

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
ETH Zürich, Zurich, ZH, Switzerland
Sociological Institute, Universität Zürich, Zurich, ZH, Switzerland
Innovation Economy Section & PCT Division, World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva, GE, Switzerland
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
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