Soft-skills, networking, and workforce entry: Impacts of a training program for recent graduates in Rwanda

Young adults seeking to enter the labor market often confront a skills mismatch, with employers expressing challenges in recruiting new entrants who possess the necessary soft skills. This paper reports findings from a randomized controlled trial in Rwanda, in which recent tertiary education graduates were randomly selected to participate in a two-week intensive soft skills training program developed and delivered by the staff of the University of Rwanda. Results indicate that the program expedited the graduates' entry into the job market during a period marked by disruptions due to COVID-19. These effects dissipated over the following year as more jobs became available in the economy, and the employment rate of the control group caught up with that of the treatment group. The faster labor market entry for the training participants seems to be driven by an expansion and more intensive use of their job networks.