The effect of dual vocational education and training on grades and graduation in Catalonia, Spain

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptive characteristics.

Variables	Mean/frequency (standard deviation)
Personal characteristics Female Age 1st quarter of birth 2nd quarter of birth 3rd quarter of birth 4th quarter of birth Repeater Spanish nationality	0.46 (0.50) 23.38 (7.26) 0.23 (0.42) 0.25 (0.43) 0.26 (0.44) 0.26 (0.44) 0.26 (0.44) 0.88 (0.32)
Access to degree ESO Others High school VET HNC Specific course 3-y university degree 4-y university degree Licenciatura (old 5-y university degree) Access test	0.40 (0.49) 0.02 (0.15) 0.24 (0.43) 0.04 (0.18) 0.06 (0.24) 0.05 (0.21) 0.01 (0.07) 0.01 (0.08) 0.01 (0.08) 0.18 (0.38)
Type of education Face-to-face Blended or online VET HNC Dual VET Public Vouchered Private	0.90 (0.30) 0.10 (0.30) 0.39 (0.49) 0.61 (0.49) 0.08 (0.27) 0.63 (0.48) 0.24 (0.43) 0.13 (0.34)
Area of study Sports physical activities Administration and management Agrarian Graphics Trade and marketing Building and civil works Electrical and electronics Energy and water Manufacture mechanical Wood, furniture, and cork Hospitality and tourism Personal image Image and sound Food industries Extractive industries ICT Installation and maintenance Maritime fishing Chemistry Health Safety and environment Sociocultural services and the community Transport and vehicle maintenance Textile, clothing, and leather	0.05 (0.21) 0.11 (0.31) 0.01 (0.12) 0.01 (0.09) 0.06 (0.24) 0.00 (0.07) 0.04 (0.20) 0.00 (0.05) 0.02 (0.14) 0.00 (0.06) 0.05 (0.21) 0.04 (0.19) 0.03 (0.17) 0.01 (0.11) 0.00 (0.02) 0.12 (0.32) 0.03 (0.17) 0.00 (0.06) 0.03 (0.16) 0.18 (0.38) 0.00 (0.05) 0.14 (0.35) 0.06 (0.24) 0.01 (0.08)
School/training centre area Baix Llobregat Barcelona region Catalunya Central Barcelona Girona Lleida Maresme/Vallès Oriental Tarragona Terres de l'Ebre Vallès Occidental	0.07 (0.26) 0.09 (0.28) 0.06 (0.23) 0.30 (0.46) 0.08 (0.27) 0.11 (0.32) 0.08 (0.27) 0.08 (0.27) 0.03 (0.16) 0.10 (0.30)
Academic year 2015–2016 2016–2017 2017–2018 2018–2019	0.18 (0.38) 0.20 (0.40) 0.22 (0.41) 0.41 (0.49)

Note: We report frequencies and standard deviations in parentheses.

Figure 1. Heterogeneous grading across centres and area of study.

Table 2. Degree achievement: Heckman first stage results marginal effects.

Instrumented Dual VET	1.765 (0.025)***
Modality (ref. face-to-face) Blended or online HNC (ref. VET) Ownership (ref. public) Vouchered Private Number of academic years	−0.497 (0.002)*** 0.602 (0.003)*** 0.047 (0.003)*** −0.078 (0.004)*** 0.262 (0.008)***
N N selection Wald Chi^2	217,921 116,030 24.798,64 (0.00)

Notes: ***, **, and * represents 1%, 5%, and 10% statistical significance, respectively. Clustered Standard errors are reported in parentheses. Regressions include as controls: gender, non-linear age, quarter of birth, repeater, Spanish nationality, access via, modality of face-to-face studies, VET and HNC identifiers, nature of training centre ownership, area of study FE, territorial service, academic year, and a constant term.

Table 3. Dual VET effect on grades: marginal effects.

	(1) OLS	(2) IV	(3) IV standardised grades
Dual VET	0.249 (0.01)***	0.506 (0.02)***	0.933 (0.19)***
N N selection Wald Chi^2	217,921 116,030 25.308,16 (0.00)	217,921 116,030 24.798,64 (0.00)	210,222 98,117 12,284.75 (0.00)

Notes: ***, **, and * represents 1%, 5%, and 10% statistical significance, respectively. Clustered Standard errors are reported in parentheses. Regressions include as controls: gender, non-linear age, quarter of birth, repeater, Spanish nationality, access via, modality of face-to-face studies, VET and HNC identifiers, nature of training centre ownership, area of study FE, territorial service, academic year, and a constant term.

Figure 2. Robustness of Dual VET impact on standardised grades: 1–15 km distance.

Table A1. Descriptive characteristics for overall, dual VET, and traditional VET students.

	Overall	Dual VET	Traditional VET
Personal characteristicsFemaleAge1st quarter of birth2nd quarter of birth3rd quarter of birth4th quarter of birthRepeaterSpanish nationality	0.46 (0.50) 23.38 (7.26) 0.23 (0.42) 0.25 (0.43) 0.26 (0.44) 0.26 (0.44) 0.26 (0.44) 0.88 (0.32)	0.47 (0.50) 23.47 (7.40) 0.23 (0.42) 0.25 (0.43) 0.26 (0.44) 0.26 (0.44) 0.26 (0.44) 0.88 (0.32)	0.37 (0.48) 22.28 (5.33) 0.23 (0.42) 0.24 (0.43) 0.26 (0.44) 0.27 (0.44) 0.19 (0.39) 0.90 (0.30)
Access to degreeESOOthersHigh schoolVETHNCSpecific course3-y university degree4-y university degreeLicenciatura (old 5-y university degree)Access test	0.40 (0.49) 0.02 (0.15) 0.24 (0.43) 0.04 (0.18) 0.06 (0.24) 0.05 (0.21) 0.01 (0.07) 0.01 (0.08) 0.01 (0.08) 0.18 (0.38)	0.02 (0.15) 0.24 (0.43) 0.04 (0.19) 0.06 (0.24) 0.05 (0.21) 0.01 (0.07) 0.40 (0.49) 0.01 (0.08) 0.01 (0.08) 0.18 (0.38)	0.02 (0.13) 0.27 (0.44) 0.03 (0.16) 0.05 (0.22) 0.06 (0.25) 0.00 (0.04) 0.38 (0.48) 0.01 (0.09) 0.00 (0.03) 0.19 (0.39)
Type of educationFace-to-faceBlended or onlineVETHNCDual VETPublicVoucheredPrivate	0.90 (0.30) 0.10 (0.30) 0.39 (0.49) 0.61 (0.49) 0.08 (0.27) 0.63 (0.48) 0.24 (0.43) 0.13 (0.34)	0.10 (0.31) 0.90 (0.31) 0.40 (0.49) 0.60 (0.49) 0.62 (0.49) 0.24 (0.43) 0.14 (0.35)	0.01 (0.08) 0.99 (0.08) 0.24 (0.43) 0.76 (0.43) 0.71 (0.45) 0.22 (0.42) 0.07 (0.25)
Area of studySports physical activitiesAdministration and managementAgrarianGraphicsTrade and marketingBuilding and civil worksElectrical and electronicsEnergy and waterManufacture mechanicalWood, furniture, and corkHospitality and tourismPersonal imageImage and soundFood industriesExtractive industriesICTInstallation and maintenanceMaritime fishingChemistryHealthSafety and environmentSociocultural services and the communityTransport and vehicle maintenanceTextile, clothing, and leather	0.05 (0.21) 0.11 (0.31) 0.01 (0.12) 0.01 (0.09) 0.06 (0.24) 0.00 (0.07) 0.04 (0.20) 0.00 (0.05) 0.02 (0.14) 0.00 (0.06) 0.05 (0.21) 0.04 (0.19) 0.03 (0.17) 0.01 (0.11) 0.00 (0.02) 0.12 (0.32) 0.03 (0.17) 0.00 (0.06) 0.03 (0.16) 0.18 (0.38) 0.00 (0.05) 0.14 (0.35) 0.06 (0.24) 0.01 (0.08)	0.05 (0.22) 0.10 (0.30) 0.01 (0.12) 0.01 (0.09) 0.06 (0.23) 0.00 (0.07) 0.04 (0.20) 0.00 (0.05) 0.02 (0.13) 0.00 (0.06) 0.05 (0.22) 0.04 (0.19) 0.03 (0.17) 0.01 (0.11) 0.00 (0.01) 0.12 (0.32) 0.02 (0.15) 0.00 (0.06) 0.02 (0.15) 0.19 (0.39) 0.00 (0.05) 0.14 (0.35) 0.06 (0.24) 0.01 (0.07)	0.01 (0.11) 0.14 (0.35) 0.02 (0.14) 0.01 (0.08) 0.11 (0.31) 0.00 (0.06) 0.07 (0.25) 0.00 (0.06) 0.05 (0.22) 0.01 (0.07) 0.03 (0.18) 0.01 (0.09) 0.00 (0.05) 0.02 (0.15) 0.01 (0.07) 0.10 (0.30) 0.09 (0.29) 0.00 (0.02) 0.06 (0.24) 0.05 (0.23) 0.00 (0.03) 0.12 (0.32) 0.08 (0.27) 0.01 (0.09)
School/training centre areaBaix LlobregatBarcelona regionCatalunya CentralBarcelonaGironaLleidaMaresme/Vallès OrientalTarragonaTerres de l'EbreVallès Occidental	0.07 (0.26) 0.09 (0.28) 0.06 (0.23) 0.30 (0.46) 0.08 (0.27) 0.11 (0.32) 0.08 (0.27) 0.08 (0.27) 0.03 (0.16) 0.10 (0.30)	0.07 (0.26) 0.09 (0.29) 0.06 (0.23) 0.30 (0.46) 0.08 (0.27) 0.12 (0.32) 0.08 (0.27) 0.08 (0.27) 0.03 (0.16) 0.10 (0.30)	0.08 (0.27) 0.08 (0.27) 0.05 (0.22) 0.24 (0.43) 0.10 (0.30) 0.07 (0.25) 0.09 (0.28) 0.11 (0.32) 0.03 (0.16) 0.15 (0.36)
Academic year2015–20162016–20172017–20182018–2019	0.18 (0.38) 0.20 (0.40) 0.22 (0.41) 0.41 (0.49)	0.18 (0.39) 0.20 (0.40) 0.22 (0.41) 0.40 (0.49)	0.08 (0.27) 0.21 (0.41) 0.22 (0.41) 0.50 (0.50)

Table A2. Overall determinants of grades: marginal effects (IV estimation).

Personal characteristics Female Age (elasticity) 2nd quarter of birth 3rd quarter of birth 4th quarter of birth Repeater Spanish nationality	0.288 (0.008)*** 0.088 (0.003)*** 0.005 (0.008) 0.003 (0.008) 0.004 (0.008) −0.492 (0.009)*** 0.175 (0.012)***
Access to degree (ref. ESO) Others High school VET HNC Specific course 3-y university degree 4-y university degree Licenciatura (old 5-y university degree) Access test	0.026 (0.028) 0.292 (0.025)*** −0.027 (0.026) 0.073 (0.024)*** −0.007 (0.020) 0.336 (0.053)*** 0.208 (0.040)*** 0.534 (0.059)*** −0.088 (0.020)***
Modality (ref. face-to-face) Blended or online HNC (ref. VET) Dual VET Ownership (ref. public) Vouchered Private	0.017 (0.063) 0.453 (0.052)*** 0.506 (0.02)*** −0.040 (0.009)*** −0.092 (0.012)***
Area of study (ref. Sports physical activities) Administration and management Agrarian Graphics Trade and marketing Building and civil works Electrical and electronics Energy and water Manufacture mechanical Wood, furniture, and cork Hospitality and tourism Personal image Image and sound Food industries Extractive industries ICT Installation and maintenance Maritime fishing Chemistry Health Safety and environment Sociocultural services and the community Transport and vehicle maintenance Textile, clothing, and leather	−0.174 (0.024)*** −0.285 (0.033)*** −0.277 (0.039)*** −0.341 (0.026)*** −0.316 (0.045)*** −0.249 (0.027)*** −0.286 (0.052)*** −0.255 (0.037)*** −0.178 (0.062)*** −0.315 (0.020)*** −0.304 (0.020)*** −0.321 (0.027)*** −0.066 (0.040) 0.531 (0.148)*** −0.108 (0.019)*** −0.175 (0.039)*** −0.366 (0.051)*** −0.328 (0.034)*** 0.053 (0.019)*** −0.321 (0.057)*** −0.024 (0.019) −0.377 (0.027)*** −0.047 (0.046)
School/training centre area (ref. Baix Llobregat) Barcelona region Catalunya Central Barcelona Girona Lleida Maresme/Vallès Oriental Tarragona Terres de l'Ebre Vallès Occidental	0.041 (0.014)*** 0.025 (0.016) 0.048 (0.012)*** −0.006 (0.014) 0.017 (0.015) 0.135 (0.014)*** 0.028 (0.014)* 0.003 (0.020) 0.028 (0.014)**
Academic year (ref. 2015–2016) 2016–2017 2017–2018 2018–2019 Constant term	0.136 (0.012)*** 0.187 (0.012)*** 0.067 (0.016)*** 5.149 (0.148)***

Notes: ***, **, and * represents 1%, 5%, and 10% statistical significance, respectively. Clustered Standard errors are reported in parentheses. Regressions include as controls: gender, non-linear age, quarter of birth, repeater, Spanish nationality, access via, modality of face-to-face studies, VET and HNC identifiers, nature of training centre ownership, area of study FE, territorial service, academic year, and a constant term.