Evaluating dual apprenticeship effects on youth employment: A focus on the mechanisms

Abstract

The dual model of apprenticeships has attracted the attention of national governments globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. While there is wide international consensus about the positive effects of the dual model on youth employment in its home countries, there is little evidence on the necessary contextual conditions for the programme to deliver its expected results in recipient countries. Drawing on the realist evaluation approach, we aim to test the underlying assumptions of the model and to empirically scrutinise under what contextual conditions the programme mechanisms operate or not for its beneficiary population in the case of Mexico. We test these assumptions by analysing, through quantitative and qualitative methods, the characteristics, motivations and logics of action of apprentices and the contextual conditions that shape their decision-making process. The results show that many of the participants are not intrinsically motivated by the situated learning opportunities offered by the dual model, that the quality of the training varies largely across companies, that schools struggle to integrate theoretical and practical learning within the programme, and that continuation of studies is a highly desired outcome for some of the apprentices. Our research contributes to the comparative education debate on how institutional, social and economic contextual conditions affect the effectiveness of the German model of dual apprenticeships when transferred to different national settings, and it informs better programme management and policymaking in the recipient countries.