Patrick A. Molligo

I am a 5th year PhD student in the UCLA Department of Economics writing my dissertation in the fields of labor economics and economic history. My research focuses on the development of vocational education in the United States over the past century.

My dissertation examines the impact of the G.I. Bill on vocational training among U.S. veterans following World War II and the Korean War. While previous research has extensively explored the G.I. Bill’s effects on college and high school education, there is limited evidence of its influence on vocational and job training take-up. I leverage differences in the probability of military service across birth cohorts to estimate the joint effect of military service and G.I. Bill subsidies on vocational training completion. Results suggest a positive impact on non-college training paths, highlighting the bill’s broader educational influence beyond traditional college routes and shedding light on its role in shaping veterans’ career trajectories in the decades following demobilization.