Is there a mindset gap holding women back in business? Can entrepreneurship training instill a set of attitudes, behaviors, and strategies that are thought to underpin success in business such as motivation, perseverance, and self-confidence? This study conducted two randomized controlled trials...

Despite its growing popularity, evidence that volunteering enhances civic values and social cohesion among different communities remains limited in developing countries. This study presents novel evidence from Lebanon on the impact of offering a volunteering program that consisted of...

Training is one of the main ways that the Nepal government intervenes in the labor market. This descriptive study documents patterns, trends, correlates, and the labor market effects of formal off-the-job training of youth, based on national household survey data. Training rates in Nepal tend to...

On 23 March 2017, the World Bank Group hosted a workshop focusing on how to improve skills in South Africa and thus enhance employability of South Africans, with the ultimate goal to reduce poverty and inequality. This paper provides an overview of the South Korean job training system which...

Moldova, like many other countries in the region, is facing rapid economic and demographic transitions. Employers report that inadequate levels of workforce skills hamper their productivity. Recognizing the importance of workforce development to improve the country's socioeconomic prospects, the...

Demand-driven training (DDT) and results-based contracting (RBC) are two mechanisms used to enhance the effectiveness and impact of skill training programs. DDT links skills development explicitly with the job market, typically through employer engagement. Private sector employers define what...

Despite the popularity of business training among policy makers, the use of business training has faced increasing skepticism. This is, in part, fueled by the fact that most of the first wave of randomized experiments in developing countries could not detect statistically significant impacts of...

Business training programs are typically offered for free. Charging for training provides potential benefits including financial sustainability, but little is known about how price affects the demand for training. This study conducted two experiments in Jamaica using the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak...

A significant body of research demonstrates that teachers and the quality of their teaching are crucial components of student learning. Many teachers in resource-poor environments have limited knowledge, skills, or motivation. Some impact evaluations have shown promising results from...

This paper identifies separate and unique pathways to profits among small businesses in South Africa that are exposed to marketing or finance training in a randomized control study. The marketing group achieves greater profits by adopting a growth focus on higher sales, greater investments in...