Soft-skills Training, Locus of Control, and Labor Market Outcomes of Youth: Evidence from Kenya

Kibrom A. Abay, Maria Laura Alzua, Laura Nelima Barasa, Phyllis Mumia Machio and Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong
Additional contact information
Kibrom A. Abay: IFPRI
Maria Laura Alzua: CEDLAS-IIE-FCE-UNLP & CONICET & Partnership for Economic Policy
Laura Nelima Barasa: University of Nairobi
Phyllis Mumia Machio: University of Nairobi
Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong: World Bank

CEDLAS, Working Papers from CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata

Abstract: We evaluate the impact of a gender-sensitive soft-skills training that aimed to address youths’ labor market constraints in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions in Kenya using a clustered randomized controlled trial. We also explore whether the presence (or absence) of complementary noncognitive skills, such as locus-of-control, moderates the impact of soft-skills training. Our evaluation combines baseline, midline, and endline data to understand the dynamics of labor market transitions for the youth. Although we find suggestive evidence that the soft-skills training marginally contributed to preparing the youth for the labor market by improving their willingness, expectations, and preparedness for jobs, the impact of the soft-skills training on ultimate labor market outcomes appears negligible. However, the effect of soft-skills training varies across individuals with varying personality traits. Soft-skills training improved labor market outcomes for those with internal locus of control, implying important heterogeneity across individuals with varying non-cognitive skills.

JEL-codes: C93 E24 N37 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 44 pages
Date: 2026-06
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.cedlas.econo.unlp.edu.ar/wp/wp-content/uploads/doc_cedlas375.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dls:wpaper:0375

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in CEDLAS, Working Papers from CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Ana Pacheco ().