Learning and development have become an economic imperative for organisations. With the constant flux of changes in job-related requirements, it is essential for employees to learn or develop new and existing skills. According to Harvard Business Review, opportunities for development have become the second most important factor in workplace happiness. To ensure CERP’s team members are committed and motivated, CERP’s workplace culture is built around the fundamentals of learning and growth.
Building on our learning oriented culture Ms. Sarah Shaukat, Research Associate on the Punjab Economic Opportunities Program (PEOP) recently attended a two-day training programme on Panel Data Methods at University College London (UCL), organised by the Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice (CEMMAP). Taught by Jeffery M. Wooldridge the training was directed towards honing data analysis and panel data methods knowledge of the participants. The training also focused on discussing the estimation of linear and non-linear models using random effects, fixed effects, and first differencing.
The training programme helped Ms. Shaukat learn a valuable technical skill that is pertinent to lead the PEOP project. Talking about the programme Ms. Shaukat says “The training covered a range of estimation methods that are particularly relevant to the evaluation techniques I currently use as a researcher. In addition to the lectures, I got hands-on experience in using the statistical package STATA. Overall, the programme offered rigorous training in core estimation methods intertwined with the right mix of theory and practical work; it was ideal for a researcher like me who wants to further hone her data analysis skills and wants to become an expert in panel data methods”

As a research associate, Ms. Shaukat conducts extensive research and data analysis to evaluate the impact of skills development schemes in Pakistan through PEOP. She evaluates the impact or treatment effects of a skills training programme to generate self-employment opportunities for rural women such as tailoring skills to produce for the market.