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Empowering refugees: The role of comprehensive training programs in labor market integration

Author

Listed:
  • Chiara Maria Zisler
  • Eric Bettinger
  • Uschi Backes-Gellner

Abstract

Given the increase in global refugee and migration flows and the severe labor shortages in host countries, actively helping refugees enter the labor market constitutes a critical need. Targeted training programs for refugees can potentially improve labor market and social integration. Us- ing a quasi-experimental approach, we investigate a comprehensive Swiss IT and coding bootcamp that combines occupational skills training with workplace-based cultural skills training (i.e., implicit skills that can be learned only through work experience). By matching individual survey data with detailed records from the program application process, we compare the labor market and social integration outcomes of program applicants around the admission threshold. Program participation significantly improves labor market outcomes compared to non-participation within the first three years after program graduation.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiara Maria Zisler & Eric Bettinger & Uschi Backes-Gellner, 2024. "Empowering refugees: The role of comprehensive training programs in labor market integration," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0218, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    • Handle: RePEc:iso:educat:0218
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Refugees; Labor market integration; Skills training; Natural experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • M53 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Training

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