Vocational Education and Training: A Pathway to the Straight and Narrow

Abstract

Education is often claimed to reduce social exclusion and crime, yet there is little empirical evidence beyond that for increased schooling. In this study, we estimate the crime-reducing effects of participating in post-secondary vocational education and training (VET) between ages 16 and 44, exploiting a natural experiment in Australia that increased VET participation in the state of Victoria, but not in the neighbouring state of New South Wales. Using postcode (zipcode) level administrative data and difference-indifferences estimation, we find that increased VET participation is associated with reduced person, drug and property crime. We find much larger effects for mature-age people (26-44) than for young people (16-25), possibly because crime at this age is more closely linked to legitimate labor market opportunities. These results provide plausibly causal evidence that extending opportunities for later-life education and training can have substantial public benefits.

Conceptualizing Technical and Vocational Education and Training as a Service Through Service-Dominant Logic

“…Researchers in Russia found that TVET reduced the risk of youth unemployment (Blinova et al, 2015). Other studies similarly revealed that TVET participants had fewer new crime reconvictions (Bouffard et al, 2000;Jha & Polidano, 2016).…”

“…In the long term, tax income increases from higher earnings with increased employment and productivity (Hoeckel, 2008). Studies also show plausible causal evidence of the effect of TVET on the reduction of crime rate (Jha & Polidano, 2016). All of these public values are derived from those created by individuals and enterprises.…”