ICES Seminar in Experimental Economics and Game Theory
School Vouchers, Labor Markets and Vocational Education
Friday, January 27, 2023 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST
Vernon Smith Hall (formerly Metropolitan Building), 5183
The ICES Seminar in Experimental Economics and Game Theory of the Spring 2023 semester will feature:
George Mason University
School Vouchers, Labor Markets and Vocational Education
Abstract
In the 1990s, Colombia’s PACES program expanded secondary school access for socioeconomically disadvantaged students through private school vouchers. Lottery and administrative data over twenty years show that PACES vouchers increased social mobility via increased tertiary education, greater formal earnings, car and credit card consumption, and residential neighborhood upgrading. PACES, moreover, expanded secondary school access and improved social mobility at a low or possibly negative cost to taxpayers. Our randomized control trial experimental evidence shows that voucher recipients who applied to vocational schools benefited most, particularly if schools had a commercial curriculum or offered private sector internships, consistent with horizontal product market differentiation as a possible mechanism of impact.
For more information about the Seminar Series, please visit the Seminar Schedule homepage.
