Thailand’s Vocational Training and Upward Mobility: Impact Heterogeneities and Policy Implications

Using quasi-experimental treatment effect methods with unique longitudinal survey data, the paper assesses the impact of vocational training on economic mobility in the short, medium and long term in Thailand. We find that vocational training does not affect upward mobility in terms of income, expenditure and employment. The analysis of the heterogeneity of effects suggests that women, rural residents, youth and elderly, low-educated workers, and economically inactive people benefit less from the vocational training. Computer training courses, training offered by private institutions or in public-private partnerships, and training financed by employers are associated with better outcomes.