Reaching for gold! The impact of a positive reputation shock on career choice

B-Tier
Journal: European Economic Review
Year: 2025
Volume: 175
Issue: C

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We analyze the causal influence of a positive reputation shock for a particular occupation on career choice. In the unpredictable event that a person from one's own country wins a (gold) medal in a particular occupation at the World Championship of Vocational Skills (WorldSkills), searches for apprenticeship vacancies increased significantly by around 7 %. Most importantly, the increase in searches for apprenticeship vacancies in the current year has also led to a 2.5 % increase in the number of contracts signed in the winning occupation, and there are indications that these apprenticeships have a better match between employers and employees.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:eecrev:v:175:y:2025:i:c:s0014292125000674
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25