Can Online Skilling Programs Foster Employment? Evidence fromPunjab

In this study, we evaluate the impact of an online digital skills training program offered by the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) in collaboration with Coursera, aimed at providing international-standard online learning to its beneficiaries. The analysis focuses on four key questions: (i) How does the online training program impact employment and income generation? (ii) Did the program target vulnerable groups? (iii) Which courses were most effective in improving labor market outcomes? (iv) Should the program be continued in the future? The study combines administrative data from PSDF on 13,493 trainees who enrolled in the program with data from a phone survey of 685 trainees to collect detailed information on post-program outcomes. The findings reveal that transitionto-work rates are 10 percentage points higher amongst trainees who completed the course. Additionally, non-pecuniary benefits are observed, as course completion leads to trainees reporting significantly higher confidence levels and positive changes such as finding new or online jobs, receiving pay raise, completing or starting a degree, and enrolling in other training programs. The top five most effective courses for transition-to-work include Python for Everyone, Financial Accounting, Graphic Design, Developing Android Apps with App Inventor, and Digital Image & Video Processing. A cost-benefit indicates that the program is economically feasible, as average monthly income gains by trainees suggest that the program’s cost per completion can be recovered in less than a year.