Print version Recommend this page Press release
14/ 2004
Bonn, 22.04.2004
BIBB study shows: Private persons invest billions in own continuing vocational education and training
Germans do a great deal for their continuing vocational education and training - and spend a considerable amount of money on acquiring skills: In 2002, some 27.8 million people in Germany spent a total of approximately €13.9 billion on their own continuing vocational education and training (CVET). This translates into an average of €502 in costs per participant. This finding is just one of many from a representative survey conducted by Germany's Federal Institute for Vocational Training ("BIBB") in which 2,000 individuals who participated in continuing vocational education and training (CVET) were asked about the costs that they incurred for their training.
Key findings from the survey
Participation in continuing vocational education and training:
In 2002, 68 percent of all German-speaking, "employment-oriented" persons between the ages of 19 and 64 participated in continuing vocational education and training. 01
- Thirty-nine percent of the respondents had attended CVET courses, particularly in their own company or at continuing education facilities - in other words, had participated in "conventional" formalized continuing vocational education and training.
- More than one out of every four respondents (26 percent) attended conventions, conferences or trade fairs to educate themselves further.
- Another 23 percent of the employment-oriented individuals surveyed continued their education in self-organized learning processes, primarily with the help of textbooks or specialized literature, but also on a computer-supported basis with learning software or via the Internet.
- Seventeen percent had taken advantage of work-related forms of learning, in particular organized familiarization or instruction at work or in-company skilling activities.
- Many of the respondents had participated in several different CVET courses. This averaged out to 1.4 CVET courses per respondent.
- Thirty-two percent of the employment-oriented persons surveyed had not participated in any form of continuing vocational education or training.
Structure of the individual's CVET costs:
The average cost - €502 per participant - can be broken down as follows:
- The direct cost per individual totalled an average of €375. 02 This figure included: €116 for
attendance fees, €67 for the cost of computer-aided learning, €57 for conventional teaching aids and materials, €75 in travelling expenses, €28 for overnight accommodations and €19 for meals away from home. In addition to this, the individual also had miscellaneous costs (such as examination fees) to bear. - Above and beyond this, the respondents also had an average of €127 in indirect costs arising from the loss of income 03 which resulted, for example, when the respective participant took unpaid leave in order to attend the particular course, the course meant a reduction in the individual's regular working hours or the individual had to quit working entirely for a time in order to undergo CVET.
Direct and indirect costs together constitute the cost burden for participants.
Distribution of costs:
The cost burden varies greatly between participants:
- Forty-five percent of the respondents did not have to bear any type of cost for their CVET.
- At up to €99, the costs for 14 percent of the respondents were relatively small.
- Twenty-eight percent of the participants had noticeable costs ranging from €100 to €999.
- Thirteen percent had high costs of at least €1,000 to bear, with two percent reporting extremely high costs of €5,000 or more.
Time invested in continuing vocational education and training:
The survey's respondents spent an average of 138 hours a year on continuing vocational education and training.
More than half of the hours spent on CVET (74 hours) did not take place during regular working hours but rather during the participants' leisure time. 04 Additionally, participants spent an average of another 59 leisure-time hours attributable to unpaid overtime arising from the individual's participation in CVET, advance information gathering, preparation and follow-up time plus travelling time. All in all, continuing vocational education and training resulted in a loss of 133 hours of leisure time per participant and year. 05
Ursula Beicht, Elisabeth M. Krekel and Günter Walden outline additional findings regarding CVET costs to the individual in their article: "Berufliche Weiterbildung - welche Kosten tragen die Teilnehmer?" in issue No. 2/2004 of the periodical Berufsbildung in Wissenschaft und Praxis (BWP).
The findings from the survey on participation in continuing vocational education and training are the subject of the article by Ursula Beicht, Stefan Schiel, Dieter Timmermann: "Berufliche Weiterbildung - wie unterscheiden sich Teilnehmer und Nicht-Teilnehmer?" in issue No. 1/2004 of BWP.
BWP issues No. 1/2004 and 2/2004 can be ordered for €7.90 each from W. Bertelsmann Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, Postfach 10 06 33, 33506 Bielefeld, Germany, Tel. + 49 521 - 9110 111, Fax: + 49 521 - 9110 119, E-mail: service@wbv.de
For information regarding this study please contact at BIBB: Dr. Elisabeth M. Krekel (e-mail: krekel@bibb.de), Ursula Beicht (e-mail: beicht@bibb.de) or Dr. Günter Walden (e-mail: walden@bibb.de)
Association for Innovative Vocational Training - Request for proposals:
The 2004 Hermann Schmidt Prize competition on the subject:
CUSTOMER-ORIENTEDNESS IN VOCATIONAL TRAINING - New paths in vocational training in all sectors
Detailed information and application forms for the competition are available on the Internet at: http://www.bibb.de/de/10465.htm
Deadline for submissions is June 18, 2004.
