Under this theme, we aim to expand the base of empirical research on the intersection between education, the labour market, and other life outcomes such as fertility, family responsibilities, and intergenerational mobility.
Many young people enter the labour force with minimal skills due to low levels of school completion, limited access to post-school education and training and even lower qualification completion rates. This reality stands in strong contrast to the demand for high skilled employees, resulting in skills mismatch and exclusion from the labour market.
Previous studies have shown that post-school education has the potential to enable youth to find jobs and earn higher wages, alleviating poverty, and joblessness. Less is known about what responsibilities completing a post-school qualification might bring or the long run outcomes of not completing school or remaining out of employment education or training (NEET) for a long period of time.
Thus far, studies under this theme draw on household and panel survey data, such as the National Income Dynamics Study in South Africa and the Ghanaian Socioeconomic Panel Survey in Ghana.
Explore some of our work on this topic here. Read more about the Ghanaian study under this theme here.