Information Systems for the Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Vocational Training Programmes

The aim of this article is to discuss the requirements of an Information System (IS) for evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of public intervention in the field of vocational training. The objective of this policy is to increase employability and reduce disparities in access to the labour market of EU-defined disadvantaged groups. The primary goal of the IS is to aid decision making of policy makers and managers. In this context, information asymmetry in the production of these services is a problem and the standard approach of the International Organization for Standardization can do little to promote quasi-market competition, which economists suggest as a solution to information asymmetry. The article recommends making a greater effort to develop an IS capable of assessing the effectiveness of training programmes and making the necessary corrections for selection bias with regard to the selection of the agencies managing the training programmes. The adoption of the standard used by current labour- force surveys is suggested.