Two separate field experiments were conducted to examine whether mentoring impacts the educational preferences and career choices of Bhutanese students in grades 10 and 12.
The mentoring programs focus on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) for grade 12 students and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for grade 10 students, providing information on labor market outcomes and mentors‘ experiences. Despite different levels of stigma toward TVET and STEM, both programs generate greater interest and positive shifts in attitudes. However, this increased interest does not lead to higher applications or enrollments, highlighting the importance of nonmonetary factors in educational decision-making.