In this paper, we analyse the effects of workers’ self-rated attitudinal skills and their performance on vocational skills tests on their wage. The survey was conducted with garment workers who had experience of less than three years in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The constituting elements of attitudinal skills were examined using the questionnaire for the workers. Meanwhile, a vocational skills test was conducted with the same population and graded by the employers and the vocational schools’ teachers. We found that the attitudinal skills, i.e. the desire to maintain a clean and tidy workplace and to follow the rules, are associated with higher earnings. Vocational skills, which are more likely to be rewarded by higher salaries, include sewing and patternmaking. We also found that the interaction between patternmaking, sewing, and attitudinal skills yielded higher returns. Interestingly, our results show that at higher levels of attitudinal skills, workers with high sewing skills, and high patternmaking skills earned a higher wage. Our results are robust to alternative measures of attitudinal skills that correct for reference bias and different specifications. © 2019 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.
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