Cost Efficiency Analysis: Vocational and life skill training

This case study summarizes an analysis conducted by SCI India using the Dioptra tool to assess the cost-efficiency of vocational and life skill training in India. The analysis revealed that:

• Vocational training costs in India range from $273 to $673 per young adolescent trained; To increase cost-efficiency in grant-funded projects, it is crucial to evaluate impact, minimize attrition rates, and balance integration & intensification.
• Increasing program scale is one way to improve Value for Money in Vocational Training Programs, however comprehensive evaluations of impacts are critical for effective resource allocation.
• Life Skill training costs in India range from $17 to $47 per young adolescent trained; Training can be tailored to meet specific needs and adapted to different contexts, while customizing pre-existing modules to improve efficiency.
• Life skill training is typically a prerequisite for vocational training, reducing targeting restrictions to reach more adolescents with life skill training and then referring the most vulnerable and marginalized adolescents for vocational training could be a cost-efficient way to save on high targeting costs, reach vulnerable adolescents effectively, and minimize cost per adolescent trained for both interventions.