The Returns to Formal and Non-formal Further Training

The importance of continuous training within employment careers grew strongly during the recent decades. Rapid technological change often renders initial education and training insufficient as careers progress. Therefore, many argue that “lifelong learning” should become the norm for workers. Yet, the benefits of training participation for workers are still partly unclear.

The aim of this project is to broaden the knowledge about the returns to further training. To achieve this, the analyses take into account the multifaceted nature of further training. This includes the following distinctions:

·         To fully assess the importance of training for individual life courses it is important to assess different types of returns. This includes wages, career mobility, and occupational mobility.

·         Further training activities are very heterogeneous. On the one hand, the project distinguishes between formal training, which leads to an educational degree and non-formal training, which comprises shorter courses without formal certificates. Beyond this, differences between courses in content and scope are also considered.

·         Training has different functions depending on the labor market context. Firms have different personnel policies regarding training and internal careers. Likewise there are differences between occupations in training opportunities and obligations.