Do Extracurricular Certificates Boost University Graduates' Job Entry? Evaluating the Impact of SAP TERP10 Courses

摘要

Although extracurricular certificates might facilitate the job entry of graduates by signalling quality, evaluation literature thereto is scarce. Hence, we conduct an observational study on the impact of a standardised course "Integration of Business Processes with SAP ERP (TERP10)" offered by a number of universities worldwide and in which students can take a certification exam held by SAP AG. This SAP consultant certificate is recognised as a worldwide standard. Our study population is 649 participants in 2009-2014 at two German universities. An Integrated Employment Biographies data set by the Research Data Center of the German Federal Employment Agency provides details on their individual employment history. This data set, primary data from an online survey of graduates, and additional secondary data from the student statistics will be joined by data linkage. Propensity score matching will be used to examine the impact of TERP10 certificates on multiple indicators operationalizing job entry success.