Cain Polidano | University of Melbourne (original) (raw)
Papers by Cain Polidano
Economic Record, Jan 27, 2020
National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Dec 15, 2014
The University of Queensland, Institute for Social Science Research, Mar 31, 2021
Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published i... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to enco...
Reproduced with the kind permission of the copyright owner
This Interim Report of the Try, Test and Learn (TTL) Fund evaluation commissioned by the Australi... more This Interim Report of the Try, Test and Learn (TTL) Fund evaluation commissioned by the Australian Department of Social Services focusses on 14 tranche 1 TTL projects. A second tranche of TTL projects started one year later. The evaluation methodology follows an embedded mixed methods research design, integrating qualitative methods into a quasi-experimental design. This Interim Report assesses the establishment of the TTL Fund and the progress of TTL project implementation using 1 January 2018 – 30 June 2019 quantitative administrative data, 14 group interviews with tranche 1 project service providers and their available progress reports. It presents initial descriptive outcomes and comments on the adequacy of the administrative data for answering the evaluation questions.
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 2018
Vocational education and training provision for young people is a crucial but often maligned part... more Vocational education and training provision for young people is a crucial but often maligned part of the wider education sector. A common criticism, and motivation for numerous reforms across countries where training is predominantly classroom-based, is that too much training is low quality and unrelated to skill needs. This article examines the effects of a major Australian reform—replacing a centrally planned model with a system-wide voucher scheme—aimed at addressing these weaknesses. The reform led to large increases in private college enrollments, improved match between course choice and employer demand, and improved student achievement, with no adverse impact on equity.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016
This study uses longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HI... more This study uses longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to study the long-run effects of completing vocational education and training (VET) on a set of labour market outcomes (employment, wages, earnings, hours and occupational status). It uses two novel approaches. First, it uses fixed effects regression methods to estimate effects from acquiring new qualifications. Second, it measures effects of acquiring qualifications at lower, the same and at higher levels than previously attained. This is important, since one half of the VET qualifications observed being completed in the HILDA data are at the same or lower levels. The use of fixed effects generates estimates that differ from those found previously in the literature, at least by gender. Here, the estimated improvements in outcomes for females following the completion of a VET qualification are often larger than they are for males. In the longer term, these results point to considerable stability in estimated effects-significant effects apparent in the first year after course completion tend to remain evident up to five years later. Completed qualifications that are not higher than those already held by individuals do not consistently improve the labour market outcomes studied here, but may provide other benefits.
Economic Record, 2017
While illiterate adults are disadvantaged in the labour market, it is unclear whether low reading... more While illiterate adults are disadvantaged in the labour market, it is unclear whether low reading proficiency in school diminishes employment prospects in adulthood. We fill this gap using data on participants in the 2003 Program of International Student Assessment who were tracked to age 25 in the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth. We find no difference in full‐time employment rates or earning capacity of jobs attained at age 25 associated with low reading proficiency at 15. Those with low reading proficiency are found to avoid negative effects through high rates of participation and positive outcomes from vocational education and training.
Economics of Education Review, 2016
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016
Impacts from Delaying Access to Retirement Benefits on Welfare Receipt and Expenditure: Evidence ... more Impacts from Delaying Access to Retirement Benefits on Welfare Receipt and Expenditure: Evidence from a Natural Experiment * Governments are responding to fiscal pressures associated with aging populations by increasing the eligibility age for publicly-funded retirement benefits. However, recent studies show large resulting increases in the receipt of alternative payments, which raises concern that welfare savings are offset by increased inflows into alternative payments. Using administrative data to examine the impacts of female eligibility age increases in Australia, we find little evidence of this. Instead, most of the increase in receipt is because the delay mechanically extends the receipt time of people already on alternative payments. The implication is that fiscal savings are not being jeopardized by opportunistic behaviour.
National Centre For Vocational Education Research, 2010
National Centre For Vocational Education Research, 2010
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015
Education Economics, 2013
Economic Papers: A journal of applied economics and policy, 2012
By OECD standards, the share of the Australian labour force with at least a secondary school qual... more By OECD standards, the share of the Australian labour force with at least a secondary school qualification is low. One way to rectify this shortfall is to improve rates of re‐engagement in education among early school leavers. This paper examines the patterns of re‐engagement among early school leavers in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia sample. A key finding is that the early years after leaving school are crucially important, with rates of re‐engagement dropping dramatically in the first three years out from school. For young adults up to age twenty four, results suggest that finding work, especially satisfying work, is an important motivator for returning to study. For older adults, re‐engaging is linked to retraining after commencing a new job and returning to study after having kids.
Economic Record, Jan 27, 2020
National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Dec 15, 2014
The University of Queensland, Institute for Social Science Research, Mar 31, 2021
Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published i... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of IZA. Research published in this series may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to enco...
Reproduced with the kind permission of the copyright owner
This Interim Report of the Try, Test and Learn (TTL) Fund evaluation commissioned by the Australi... more This Interim Report of the Try, Test and Learn (TTL) Fund evaluation commissioned by the Australian Department of Social Services focusses on 14 tranche 1 TTL projects. A second tranche of TTL projects started one year later. The evaluation methodology follows an embedded mixed methods research design, integrating qualitative methods into a quasi-experimental design. This Interim Report assesses the establishment of the TTL Fund and the progress of TTL project implementation using 1 January 2018 – 30 June 2019 quantitative administrative data, 14 group interviews with tranche 1 project service providers and their available progress reports. It presents initial descriptive outcomes and comments on the adequacy of the administrative data for answering the evaluation questions.
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 2018
Vocational education and training provision for young people is a crucial but often maligned part... more Vocational education and training provision for young people is a crucial but often maligned part of the wider education sector. A common criticism, and motivation for numerous reforms across countries where training is predominantly classroom-based, is that too much training is low quality and unrelated to skill needs. This article examines the effects of a major Australian reform—replacing a centrally planned model with a system-wide voucher scheme—aimed at addressing these weaknesses. The reform led to large increases in private college enrollments, improved match between course choice and employer demand, and improved student achievement, with no adverse impact on equity.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016
This study uses longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HI... more This study uses longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey to study the long-run effects of completing vocational education and training (VET) on a set of labour market outcomes (employment, wages, earnings, hours and occupational status). It uses two novel approaches. First, it uses fixed effects regression methods to estimate effects from acquiring new qualifications. Second, it measures effects of acquiring qualifications at lower, the same and at higher levels than previously attained. This is important, since one half of the VET qualifications observed being completed in the HILDA data are at the same or lower levels. The use of fixed effects generates estimates that differ from those found previously in the literature, at least by gender. Here, the estimated improvements in outcomes for females following the completion of a VET qualification are often larger than they are for males. In the longer term, these results point to considerable stability in estimated effects-significant effects apparent in the first year after course completion tend to remain evident up to five years later. Completed qualifications that are not higher than those already held by individuals do not consistently improve the labour market outcomes studied here, but may provide other benefits.
Economic Record, 2017
While illiterate adults are disadvantaged in the labour market, it is unclear whether low reading... more While illiterate adults are disadvantaged in the labour market, it is unclear whether low reading proficiency in school diminishes employment prospects in adulthood. We fill this gap using data on participants in the 2003 Program of International Student Assessment who were tracked to age 25 in the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth. We find no difference in full‐time employment rates or earning capacity of jobs attained at age 25 associated with low reading proficiency at 15. Those with low reading proficiency are found to avoid negative effects through high rates of participation and positive outcomes from vocational education and training.
Economics of Education Review, 2016
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016
Impacts from Delaying Access to Retirement Benefits on Welfare Receipt and Expenditure: Evidence ... more Impacts from Delaying Access to Retirement Benefits on Welfare Receipt and Expenditure: Evidence from a Natural Experiment * Governments are responding to fiscal pressures associated with aging populations by increasing the eligibility age for publicly-funded retirement benefits. However, recent studies show large resulting increases in the receipt of alternative payments, which raises concern that welfare savings are offset by increased inflows into alternative payments. Using administrative data to examine the impacts of female eligibility age increases in Australia, we find little evidence of this. Instead, most of the increase in receipt is because the delay mechanically extends the receipt time of people already on alternative payments. The implication is that fiscal savings are not being jeopardized by opportunistic behaviour.
National Centre For Vocational Education Research, 2010
National Centre For Vocational Education Research, 2010
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015
Education Economics, 2013
Economic Papers: A journal of applied economics and policy, 2012
By OECD standards, the share of the Australian labour force with at least a secondary school qual... more By OECD standards, the share of the Australian labour force with at least a secondary school qualification is low. One way to rectify this shortfall is to improve rates of re‐engagement in education among early school leavers. This paper examines the patterns of re‐engagement among early school leavers in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia sample. A key finding is that the early years after leaving school are crucially important, with rates of re‐engagement dropping dramatically in the first three years out from school. For young adults up to age twenty four, results suggest that finding work, especially satisfying work, is an important motivator for returning to study. For older adults, re‐engaging is linked to retraining after commencing a new job and returning to study after having kids.