The intervention tests two different strategies. The first involves counselling sessions for students (Treatment A), in which job coaches provide classroom-level guidance on job search techniques, application processes, and interview preparation. The second focuses on teacher training (Treatment B), where selected teachers receive specialized training on labor market dynamics and effective job counselling methods to better support their students.
To rigorously assess the impact of the intervention, the project adopts a three-arm Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), where schools are randomly assigned to one of three groups: Treatment A, where students receive direct counselling; Treatment B, where teachers receive training; and a control group, which receive no intervention. This design ensures a robust and unbiased evaluation of the program’s effectiveness in improving employment outcomes after graduation.
The study covers 74 vocational schools with five-year programs across Italy, evenly divided across the three experimental groups. In schools assigned to Treatment A, students attend four two-hour sessions with job coaches. In Treatment B schools, selected teachers participate in dedicated online training sessions designed to enhance their ability to provide career guidance to their students.
During the 2023/2024 school year, approximately 1,000 students across 64 classes received direct counselling, while 230 teachers took part in training activities. Around 4,000 students will be interviewed on topics such as school experience, orientation activities, and early employment outcomes. Data collection relies both on surveys and administrative records to track results, with the goal of identifying the causal effect of the intervention in improving the employment prospects of vocational school graduates.
Principal investigator:
Michela Carlana, Associate Professor of Public Policy (Harvard Kennedy School, US)