ABSTRACT:
We test the impact of a summer employment programs for disadvantaged youth in the Philippines on medium-run employment and education outcomes.
Enrollment leads to a 3.9 percentage point (70-percent) increase in employment 8-12 months after the program, and we attribute roughly half of this effect to students continuing work with their assigned employers after the program ends, primarily in the private
sector. We do not see evidence that the program increases work readiness, soft skills, or job-search behavior, nor that it affects education outcomes. These findings highlight the potential role of such programs to facilitate school-to-work
transition, although it raises concerns about the cost-effectiveness of doing so.