Choice of the Type of School and Outcomes for Youth in the Labour Market in Togo

Abstract The objective of this research is to analyse the impact of the choice of a type of school by parents on the wage of young individuals in the labour market in Togo. To do this, the multinomial endogenous switching model has been specified and estimated. The empirical analysis is based on the Harmonised Survey on Household Living Conditions (EHCVM, 2018–2019) conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies in Togo (INSEED) on 16,821 young people aged between 15 and 35 years. The results reveal that the variables relating to the distances that separate the schools from the homes of the young individual's parents (distance to public school and distance to private school), male gender, age, level of secondary and higher education, the Maritime and Kara regions of residence and socio-professional category (employed father, employed mother) are the main determinants of parents' choice to enrol their children in a type of school. In addition, the results indicate that young people in the age group considered with access to private-type training have advantages in the labour market in terms of wage increases compared to young individuals with access to other types of training or who have not chosen any training. These results provide useful information for public policies in Togo. They imply that policies aimed at reducing inequalities amongst young people in the labour market should consider the type of school attended by the young people as an effective tool to achieve these objectives.