Pre-job training and the earnings of high-tech employees in Taiwan

The principal aim of this paper is to measure the impact of pre-job trainin g programmes on the subsequent earnings of trainees, with special attention given to engineers employed by high-tech firms in Taiwan. With the effects of educational attainment, age, and seniority controlled for, this study c oncludes that public training programmes have no impact on the earnings of participants in later jobs. However, it finds that participation in private training programmes does have a significantly positive effect on post-trai ning earnings. A comparison between this study and others is made, and impl ications are briefly discussed.