New information, new interests?
Impact of an occupation finder on the occupational choices of dual vocational education and training students
When making career-defining decisions, such as choosing an occupation, individuals should be well-informed. This study investigates the impact of a low-cost personalized information intervention on occupational choices in dual vocational education and training (VET) in Switzerland. Using data from an online platform for dual VET positions and a regression discontinuity design (RDD), I analyze how the introduction of an occupation finder tool affects the number of occupations students apply to. The findings indicate that providing students with tailored information on occupations matching their preferences significantly increases the number of applications. The intention-to-treat effect suggests that every fifth student applies to an additional occupation, while the local average treatment effect indicates an increase of three additional applications for those using the occupation finder. This study contributes to the literature on information interventions, highlighting the importance of personalized guidance in expanding students’ occupational choices and improving match quality in dual VET.