Research project An Evaluation of Higher Vocational Education

Educational policies are of central importance for the labor market supply of skills, both in terms of what type of education to provide and its duration. A remarkable change in the landscape of post-secondary education in Sweden is Higher Vocational Education (HVE) which was introduced in 2001 but today represents one third of the newly registered in post-secondary education. HVE is a unique form of education which attracts groups of participants underrepresented in traditional post-secondary education (49 % have GPA below median).

The project provides the first comprehensive economics evaluation of HVE. Detailed register data makes it possible to follow more than 150,000 participants enrolled in HVE and estimate its impact on outcomes up to 20 years after program entry. Four separate studies test the hypotheses whether HVE influences:

1) participant’s labor earnings?

2) participant’s likelihood of employment?

3) participant’s occupational or geographical mobility?

4) the marginal participant’s labor earnings?

The significance of the study is primarily related to that education is widely believed to influence individuals’ labor market employability, financial independence and living-standards. This will also influence the society’s tax base which is fundamental for maintaining the social welfare system. HVE may also enhance labor market flexibility by stimulating mobility between occupations. The impact on geographical mobility is uncertain, however, because an increased flexibility in skills within a local labor market may dampen the need for geographical mobility.

From a policy perspective, the projects will contribute with guidance on how to prioritize within HVE and indications of whether it should be further expanded or scaled down. The project is also interesting for an international audience. First because most countries have found it difficult to attract adults to formal education, and second because HVE is part of a global vocational turn in higher education.