The Intervention

Jóvenes en Acción is one of three programmes run by the Colombian government as part of the RAS (Red de Apoyo Social or Social Support Network) and is financed by a loan from the World Bank and the IADB.

It is a training programme targeted at young urban unemployed adults between the ages of 18 and 25 in the two lowest socio-economic strata of the population. It is made of two components: class-based training that lasts 3 months; and an apprenticeship scheme (on-the-job training) with participating firms that lasts another 3 months. The urban unemployed also receive a transport and subsistence subsidy during the duration of the scheme.

The Evaluation

There were two stages to the data collection. The first, in January 2005, conducted a baseline survey which collected information on individuals in the sample before they began to participate in the programme. The second, conducted between August and October of 2006, collected information on individuals at the end of the two training components (classroom and on-the-job training), between 19 and 12 months after the beginning of the programme. Since there were concerns with attrition, telephone updates were conducted on November 2005 or 4 months after the completion of the program.

The datasets, questionnaires and documentation relating to this evaluation are available online.