Public Skill Certification
RCTReview
Job seekers, particularly young adults, struggle to credibly demonstrate their skills to potential employers due to unknown educational quality or lack of formal work history. Employers face high search and evaluation costs, leading to hiring inefficiencies and elevated unemployment rates.
Picture this
Public skill certification functions like a verified inspection stamp on a used appliance. Instead of a buyer guessing whether a machine works, a trusted third-party inspector tests it and attaches an unforgeable label showing its performance rating so buyers can choose confidently.
What the evidence says
Job seekers who received public branded certificates were 5.2 percentage points more likely to be employed, increased total hours worked by 20%, and earned US$130 over 3 months (generating an earnings gain 5.6 times greater than the per-participant program cost).
- Who was studied
- Human youth job seekers in South Africa in partnership with Harambee Youth Employment Service.
- How
- Randomized Evaluation (RCT) with 3-4 month follow-up.
What to do
Issue standardized, branded skill certificates with verifiable organizational logos displaying candidate skill rankings relative to peers to job seekers following objective assessments.
From the source
"Those who received the public certificate were 5.2 percentage points more likely to be employed and increased hours worked by 20 percent three to four months after receiving the certificate relative to members of the comparison group, who did not receive a certificate."
Improving_job_seekers_employment_and_earnings_through_credible_skills.pdf