Reconciling Studies and Experience: Penalty or Bonus for Self-Employment or Salaried Work for Young People in Cameroon?

Many young graduates from developing countries, with only general knowledge, struggle to find wage employment or entrepreneurship. This period of professional transition is often prolonged. Based on data from the 2018 Cameroon Employment Policy Improvement Survey (EAPE), conducted among 3292 young people, this study analyzes whether a first work experience acquired during studies can shorten this transition period. To do this, we used a three-equation model to correct for selection and endogeneity biases, as well as a concurrent duration at risk model. The results show that a first work experience during studies does reduce the time it takes for young people to find a salaried job or start their own business. However, after their studies, young people first look for a salaried job and only turn to self-employment after several failures. Employment policies need to be reoriented or expanded to promote young people's engagement in well-designed work experiences at school. Keywords: education-work experience; self-employment; salaried work; transition time