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Quality Determinants of Short-Cycle Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean
Figure 4.6 Associations between SCP Quality Determinants and Formal Employment Internet available for faculty and students Has enough equipment or tools for practice Offers remediation classes while in the program HEI scholarship is available as funding option HEI has an employment center Industry lends / provides equipment to program for student training Class planning is very important in the faculty evaluation Percent of faculty with 5 years + industry experience Percent of <40 years old faculty HEI has governing body beyond rector / provost Interview is an admission requirement −5
0
5
10
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Percentage points Infrastructure Costs and financing Faculty
Curriculum and training Engagement with industry Other practices
Source: Dinarte et al. (2021). Note: The figure shows the change in the average probability that almost all graduates obtain formal employment (in percentage points) that is associated with the quality determinants. The estimation was done using only programs for which data were available on the probability that almost all graduates obtain formal employment and all the quality determinants. On average, 58 percent of the SCPs report that almost all their graduates are working in the formal sector. All variables are dummies except when noted. A positive coefficient denotes improvement; a negative association indicates worsening of the outcome. GPA = grade point average; HEI = higher education institution; SCP = short-cycle program.
Providing onsite internet access is associated with higher formal employment as well—presumably by facilitating students’ job search. A second category of determinants associated with formal employment pertains to the curriculum category. Graduates from SCPs providing remediation support during the program (as opposed to not having it or having it before the program only) have higher formal employment rates. Conditional on completing the program, these classes seem to strengthen students’ training. There is also a determinant associated with higher formal employment from a third category: costs and financing. Graduates from SCPs where students use HEI scholarships are more likely to be formally employed. As financial restrictions are eased by the availability of HEI scholarships, students are more likely to focus on completing their coursework and practical training, thereby consolidating their skill sets and improving their formal employment prospects. The fourth category of determinants associated with higher formal employment is engagement with industry. There are mixed results here. On the one hand, programs in HEIs with an employment center report higher formal employment for their graduates. This is aligned to evidence that technical training, complemented with customized job search assistance, improves employment outcomes.29 On the other hand, programs that have agreements allowing students’ use of firms’ equipment for practical training report lower formal employment for their graduates. The literature finds that successful
