2015年-世界发展银行全球_The_Role_of_Training_Programs_for_Youth_Employment_in_Nepal___Impact_Evaluation_Report_on_the_Employment_Fund_67页_3mb

Summary of the Impact Evaluation Report on the Employment Fund in Nepal

Core Content

This report evaluates the short-term impact of the Employment Fund (EF) training program and its Adolescent Girls Employment Initiative (AGEI) on youth employment outcomes in Nepal. Launched in 2009, the program aimed to improve employment and earnings for over 40,000 youth, with a specific focus on 4,410 women aged 16 to 24. The report highlights the effectiveness of the program in enhancing employment and income, particularly for women.

Main Points

• High Youth Unemployment: Youth unemployment is a significant issue in developing countries, with 40% of the world's unemployed being young people. In Nepal, the unemployment rate for those aged 15-29 is 19.2%, compared to 2.7% for older individuals.

• Program Overview: The EF, operated by Helvetas in partnership with the Government of Nepal, offers vocational training and employment placement services. The AGEI, launched in 2009, expanded the program to include young women, focusing on non-traditional trades and improving their access to training.

• Quasi-Experimental Design: The evaluation uses a quasi-experimental approach, comparing participants (treatment group) with non-participants (control group) who were not selected for training. The study sample includes 4,677 individuals from three cohorts (2010–2012), with a focus on women aged 16–24.

• Key Findings:

  • The EF program significantly improved non-farm employment by 15–16 percentage points, representing a 46% overall gain.
  • Average monthly earnings increased by approximately 921 NRs (12 USD), a 72% gain compared to baseline earnings of 1,272 NRs (17 USD).
  • Women experienced larger employment impacts than men, though the effects were similar across age groups within women.
  • The results are comparable but slightly higher than other experimental interventions in developing countries.

Key Information

Program Structure and Governance

• The EF operates under a unique governance structure with a Steering Committee chaired by the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Education.
• Training is provided through a competitive bidding process with various T&E providers.
• T&E providers are required to conduct a Rapid Market Assessment (RMA) to identify viable employment opportunities.
• The EF uses a differential pricing mechanism to incentivize training of more vulnerable groups, including young women.

Training and Placement Process

• Training includes 40 hours of life skills training (starting in 2011) and a short course in basic business skills for a subset of trainees.
• Trainees are encouraged to take a skills certification test by the National Skills Testing Board (NSTB).
• The EF emphasizes gainful employment, defined as earning at least 3,000 NRs (40 USD) per month.
• After training, the EF verifies employment status at 3 and 6 months, and provides outcome-based payments to T&E providers based on trainee employment.

Sampling and Evaluation Techniques

• A stratified, random, and convenience sampling approach was used to select training events and applicants.
• The study focused on applicants within 20% of the admission threshold score, ensuring a comparable treatment and control group.
• The difference-in-differences method was employed to estimate the program's impact, alongside propensity score matching and weighting to reduce bias from observable differences.

Internal Validity Considerations

• The study acknowledges potential biases due to non-representative training events and differences in trainee characteristics.
• It emphasizes the uniform selection process and the narrow score range to minimize these biases.

Implications

• The EF program demonstrates positive short-term impacts on employment and earnings, particularly for women.
• The results suggest that targeted training programs can significantly improve labor market outcomes for vulnerable youth.
• The study provides rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of such programs in Nepal, which is important for future policy and investment decisions.

Conclusion

This report presents the first rigorous impact evaluation of the EF program in Nepal. It finds that the program has meaningful positive effects on employment and earnings, especially for women, and that the results are comparable to other evaluations in developing countries. The findings underscore the importance of skills training and employment placement services in addressing youth unemployment and underemployment.