Date of Award

Summer 8-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development

Program/Concentration

Occupational and Technical Studies

Committee Director

Michael F. Kosloski

Committee Member

Michelle Bartlett

Committee Member

John Baaki

Abstract

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is widely promoted as a pathway to improving employment opportunities, supporting economic growth, and facilitating successful labor market transition. However, empirical evidence on its effectiveness remains limited in Burkina Faso. This study examined the relationship between TVET high schools and graduates’ socioeconomic insertion, with particular emphasis on employment in occupations related to the field of study (horizontal match) and examined the relationship between gender and this employment outcome. The study used descriptive statistics to summarize the characteristics of the sample, and logistic regressions to analyze the relationship between TVET training and employment in occupations related to graduates’ field of training, as well as the association between gender and these outcomes. The findings showed that only graduates from the category labelled “other” (comprising soft materials, information technology and telecommunications, and hospitality and catering) had significantly higher odds of working in occupations related to their field of training, although this finding should be interpreted with caution as these programs were combined into one category. Gender was not significantly associated with employment in occupations related to the field of training. Among the explanatory variables, only school location had a statistically significant relationship with horizontal match, with graduates from schools located in the capital having higher odds of being employed in occupations related to their training. Further analysis showed that being employed outside one’s field of study was associated with lower wages, working under less secure employment arrangements, and being vertically mismatched. Regarding employment in general, graduates from electrical engineering and soft materials had higher odds of being employed. Gender and school location were also significantly associated with employment, with women and graduates from the capital having lower odds of being employed.

These findings suggest that improving the socioeconomic insertion of TVET graduates requires more than expanding access to technical and vocational education. Stronger alignment between training and labor market needs, higher quality practical training, improved school to work transition support mechanisms, and policies that address spatial and gender inequalities are essential for improving both employment outcomes and job quality.

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DOI

10.25777/kezj-mf51

ISBN

9798193216865

ORCID

0000-0003-3841-288X

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