Mentoring Improves the School-to-work Transition of Disadvantaged Adolescents

Mentoring programs can strongly improve the transition from school to work for disadvantaged adolescents. This article evaluates the effectiveness of one of the largest mentoring programs for disadvantaged adolescents in Germany. Results indicate that mentoring markedly boosts school achievement, patience, and labor-market orientation of students from highly disadvantaged backgrounds. The effects on math grades and labor-market orientation extend beyond the end of the program. Three years after program start, the mentoring program substantially increases the share of disadvantaged adolescents who start an apprenticeship, a vital step for success in the German labor market.