Search

In Baldino and Cabral (2013) we introduced the concept of qualified labour-power as the commodity produced by the school system. In the present article we outline a quantitative model to evaluate the profit rate of educational programmes. We compare a medical school programme with a teacher education programme at a public university in Brazil, from the point of view of profitability to the wealth of the nation's labour market and to the individual student. We argue that qualified labour-power is capital and that its owner participates in production in the condition of fixed capital. The general movement of the text points to the commodification of human beings through schooling. [See the referenced article: "The Productivity of Students' Schoolwork: An Exercise in Marxist Rigour" at EJ1033316.]

Copyright of Nova Economia is the property of Nova Economia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper describes the results from an evaluation of a public policy that offers scholarships to current and former public high school students, so that they can attend technical and vocational education courses free of charge. We use a waiting list randomized controlled trial in four municipalities in a southern Brazilian State (Santa Catarina) to quantify the effects of the program on school progression, labor market outcomes and non-cognitive skills. Our intention-to-treat estimates reveal substantial gender heterogeneity two years after program completion. Women experienced large gains in labor market outcomes and non-cognitive skills. Employment rose by 21 percentage points (or approximately 33%) and the gains in earnings are of more than 50%. Also, women who received the offer scored 0.5σ higher on the synthetic index of non-cognitive skills and 0.69σ higher on an extraversion indicator. We find no effects on the male sub-sample. These findings corroborate the evidence on gender heterogeneity in the labor market effects of technical and vocational education programs. We also perform a series of exercises to explore potential channels through which these effects arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments should develop public employment and income policies aimed at professional qualification, productive inclusion, and promotion of formal employment. The Human Capital Theory, originated from this thinking, defends that the more a person invests in knowledge, the greater his/her chances to reach better positions in the job market and also to increase his/her income. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the public policies of employment and income in Ponta Grossa city, Brazil, and its relations with the levels of formal employment from 2015 to 2017. This research was characterized as descriptive, with a mixed-methods approach, and the data collection took place through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. For the analysis, the technique of interpreting the content and diverse statistical tests were used. The results showed that four public institutions are involved with the employment and income policies of the city, namely the SINE agency, the Qualification Room, Social Project Services, and the Municipal Council for Work. The research results with the workers pointed out that the surveyed ones are satisfied with the current policies. In the interviews carried out with the companies’ representatives, the interest and satisfaction with the policies were evident, mainly those related to professional qualification. Lastly, was presented an agenda with some suggestions to improve the currently offered policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economía Coyuntural, Revista de Temas de Coyuntura y Perspectivas is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas y Sociales Jose Ortiz Mercado (IIES-JOM) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)