In Finland, it is possible for students in secondary education to complete both high school and vocational studies. They can be completed either consecutively or in parallel as a dual qualification. However, the effects of obtaining a dual qualification on student educational and labour market outcomes and on the broader economy are unclear. Understanding the effects on individuals depends on how those with a qualification are compared with students who have only finished primary school, those who have completed only vocational studies or high school, and others with dual qualifications.
Interbationally, corresponding research on the subject is scarce. Institutions in different countries vary considerably, which is why no previous research on education directly comparable to the Finnish dual qualifications is currently available to support decision-making and development.
This research project forms a comprehensive and reliable assessment of the effects of completing a dual qualification. The project takes into account the challenges involved in an impact assessment arising from the selection of students for different performance methods. The aim is to minimise the selection bias by controlling for background characteristics, such as previous school success, and by utilising the time-region-level variation that might arise from the 1992–2001 youth education experiment in the completion of dual qualifications.
This is a joint project between Etla and the Labour Institute for Economic Research (LABORE), who is project lead.
