ESRC – Dual Apprenticeship in India & Mexico

ESRC - Dual Apprenticeship in India & Mexico

Asia Pacific

2020 - present

Countries

Mexico | India

Lead M&E Consultant(s)

Jimena Hernandez

Project Overview

TVET dual apprenticeship programmes have high success rates in highly industrialized countries but there is a lack of evidence on whether this type of programme can work in Global South contexts. Mexico and India therefore provide good test cases of how highly unequal countries in the Global South could import programmes such as dual apprenticeship to provide better work and life opportunities for young people. Attrition in Mexico and India is high for post-basic education, and young people, particularly those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, struggle to find employment or to move into higher education. This ongoing evaluation monitors the effectiveness and adaptation of the dual apprenticeship approach in the two countries in order to evaluate to what extent is can support those who have few opportunities.

Approaches & Outputs

The evaluation utilises a mixed methods approach, with data collected from apprentices in the form of longitudinal interviews and surveys. Data collected include apprentices’ expectations of the dual apprenticeship programmes in India and Mexico, as well as their perceived learning and experiences on the programme. The methodology includes tracer studies to evaluate work and study opportunities that apprentices may have accessed post-intervention. The evaluation results to date show that participation in the dual apprenticeship programmes provides differentiated opportunities to students depending on their gender, socio-economic background, race and ethnicity.

Impact On

20 dual apprenticeship implementors, 15 dual companies and 100 apprentices in India; 15 dual apprenticeship implementors, 20 dual companies and 150 apprentices in Mexico.

Challenges

The programme evaluation was underway when COVID-19 lookdowns took place in both countries. In Mexico the evaluation team managed to remain in contact with apprentices and continued the data collection process remotely through virtual interviews and surveys. However, in India it was difficult to remain in contact with apprentices; most were forced to move back to their villages during the lockdown. It was only months later that the evaluators were able to find apprentices in the sample to perform follow-up data collection. Overall, the data attrition in India was much higher in India than in Mexico, reflecting inequalities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ESRC – Dual Apprenticeship in India & Mexico