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Acquiring 5 days of short-term work experience increased average daily wages by $3.83 (representing an approximate 80% wage increase) over the 8-month follow-up period and increased subsequent employment probability by 6.8 to 8.8 percentage points [14-16].
Cash transfers increased total months in the program by 7.9 months (ITT, p < 0.01) from a control mean of 11.4 months, and total counselor meetings by 5.3 (ITT, p < 0.01) from a control mean of 7.3. Information exposure increased by 48% (p < 0.01), yet the estimated treatment effect on the standardized human capital investment index and final employment outcomes was precisely zero.
The program significantly enhanced participants' core and transversal skills (including self-confidence, communication, digital literacy, and problem-solving), though it produced no statistically significant short-term increases in employment rates, days worked, self-esteem, or post-program educational re-enrollment.
The workshop increased 4-year earnings by 20% (USD 10 per month) above the control mean at a one-off cost of USD 18.20 per person [1, 9]. It increased short-run permanent employment by 6.9 percentage points (a nearly 60% increase over the 12% control mean) and increased job tenure duration by 10% [10-12].
64% of youth searched specifically for permanent jobs (versus 11% seeking temporary work), work stability was the second most cited desirable job characteristic (20.4% versus 6.7% for working hours), and only 5.4% cited starting a business as a reason for non-search.
Youth receiving automated recommendation letters earned US$1,349 more cumulatively across four years and stayed in jobs 0.36 months longer. In South Africa, women using reference templates saw higher application review rates and increased 3-month employment rates, closing gender hiring gaps.
By Year 3, participant annual earnings grew by $7,011 (a 40% increase, p < 0.01), driven by a 33 percentage point gain in IT sector employment (37% vs. 4%, p < 0.01) and a 9 percentage point gain in financial services (23% vs. 14%, p < 0.01) [10, 21]. By Year 5, quarterly earnings remained $1,857 higher (a 33.5% increase, p < 0.01), generating $1.66 in public benefit per $1 spent ($15,349 net benefit per participant) [10, 20].