Can Financial Incentives to Firms Improve Apprenticeship Training? Experimental Evidence from Ghana

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review: Insights
Year: 2024
Volume: 6
Issue: 1
Pages: 120-36

Authors (5)

Gabriel Brown (not in RePEc) Morgan Hardy (New York University Abu Dhabi) Isaac Mbiti (University of Virginia) Jamie McCasland (not in RePEc) Isabelle Salcher (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.804 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

We use a field experiment to test whether financial incentives can improve the quality of apprenticeship training. Trainers (firm owners) in the treatment group participated in a tournament incentive scheme where they received a payment based on their apprentices' rank-order performance on a skills assessment. Trainers in the control group received a fixed payment based on their apprentices' participation in the assessment. Performance on the assessment was higher in the treatment group. Two years later, treated apprentices scored 0.15σ higher on a low-stakes oral skills test and earned 24 percent more in total earnings, driven by higher self-employment profits.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aerins:v:6:y:2024:i:1:p:120-36
Journal Field
General
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-25