Participation reaches record level in East and West

The German industry relies on well-qualified employees. According to a new study, between June 2011 and April 2012 alone, 49 per cent of the working age population have made use of offers of continuing education. This is the highest level of participation in continuing education since 1979.

The factor most responsible for this development is considered to be in-company continuing education, with 69 per cent the largest share in continuing education activities. Moreover, in 58 per cent of cases this is initiated by the companies themselves and not by the participants. Also, employers increasingly absorb the costs and allow for continuing education to take place during working hours.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which commissioned the study, considers this result a great success, since this means that the benchmark of 50 per cent by 2015 has been almost met with well ahead of time. In addition, the comparison between East German and West German federal states reveals that, at 53 per cent, the continuing education rate is higher in the East German federal states than in the West (48 per cent).

According to the study, the interest in continuing education is high across all levels of hierarchy and qualification. In both West and East Germany, skilled personnel in particular place great emphasis on continuing education. Whereas in West Germany, in addition, the share of executives is particularly high, in East Germany it is predominantly unskilled and semi-skilled workers who, in addition to the skilled workers, participate in continuing education measures.

Looking at age, the middle-range age groups show the greatest response to the offer of continuing education, with 56 to 58 per cent. Amongst the younger age group of under-35-year-olds, the share is at 52 per cent, whereas the older age group of above-55-year-olds achieves a healthy 46 per cent. The study's authors regard the values for the 60 to 64-year-olds as particularly gratifying. After measuring only 18 per cent in 2007, their share in in-company continuing education measures has risen to a peak value of 32 per cent in 2012.

The study, compiled by TNS Infratest Sozialforschung upon commission by the BMBF, is based on 7,099 interviews conducted within the European Adult Education Survey (AES 2011/2012).