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Does Vocational Training Promote Female Labour Force Participation? An Analysis for India

Author

Listed:
  • Indrajit Bairagya

    (Indrajit Bairagya (corresponding author) is at the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, India.)

  • Tulika Bhattacharya

    (Tulika Bhattacharya is with the Department of Economics, St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore, India. Email-mail: tulika.0588@gmail.com)

  • Pragati Tiwari

    (Pragati Tiwari is at the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, India. Email-mail: pragatitiwari@nls.ac.in)

Abstract

The objective of the article is to assess the impact of formal and informal vocational training on female labour force participation in India, based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey data for 2017–2018, employing a trivariate probit model. Results show that participation both in formal and informal vocational training has a positive and statistically significant impact on female labour force participation across all specifications of the regression models, thus showing the robustness of the relationship. Most importantly, the provision of vocational training helps break the traditional U-shaped relationship between female labour force participation and educational levels. However, the fact that the percentage of formal vocational training holders is much lower than that of informal vocational training holders and that it varies among males and females, points to the need for special policy attention on the promotion of female participation in formal vocational training on a large scale. JEL Codes: J21, J24, J71

Suggested Citation

  • Indrajit Bairagya & Tulika Bhattacharya & Pragati Tiwari, 2021. "Does Vocational Training Promote Female Labour Force Participation? An Analysis for India," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 15(1), pages 149-173, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:mareco:v:15:y:2021:i:1:p:149-173
    DOI: 10.1177/0973801020976601
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    Cited by:

    1. Bairagya, Indrajit, 2021. "Impact of formal vocational training on the earnings of self-employed individuals in rural India," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Female Labour Force Participation; Indian Labour Force; Skill India; Formal Vocational Training; Informal Vocational Training; Trivariate Probit;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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