Occupational and educational biographies of older workers and their participation in further education in Germany - Occupational and educational biographies of older workers

Oct 15, 2026

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Occupational and educational biographies of older workers are examined to explain how they participate in further education within adult learning and vocational training settings in Germany. Using NEPS survey data from six waves of longitudinal information, the study evaluates effects of formal education and occupational change on participation, with attention to job status, gender, and age. Results confirm expected influences but show that effects can diminish when other variables are included, highlighting the role of job situation and living conditions over purely biological age.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

State of research

Policy and HRD relevance of older workers’ participation

Limits of cross-sectional evidence

Demographic and debate context

The role of transitions and learning requirements

The Matthew effect and formal education

Late education opportunities and qualitative indications

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 57, Number 3, November 2017 Occupational and educational biographies of older workers and their participation in further education in Germany1 Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha & Margaretha Müller University of Tübingen, Germany 7KH DGXOW FRKRUW RIWKH *HUPDQ 1DWLRQDO (GXFDWLRQDO 3DQHO 6WXG\ 􀀋1(36􀀌 SURYLGHV GDWDIURP VL[ VHWV RIORQJLWXGLQDO GDWD GHULYHG IURP 􀀔􀀔􀀏􀀜􀀖􀀕 *HUPDQ DGXOWV􀀑 :H XVHG WKH 1(36 GDWD WR ORRN DW WKH H̆HFWV RIIRUPDO HGXFDWLRQ LQ DGXOWKRRG DQG RFFXSDWLRQDO FKDQJH V RQ participation in further vocational education and training in order to JDLQ D EHWWHU XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RIOHDUQLQJ DFWLYLWLHV RIROGHU ZRUNHUV􀀑 7KLV GDWD HQDEOHV XV WR GL̆HUHQWLDWH EHWZHHQ XSZDUG PRELOLW\􀀏 GRZQZDUGV PRELOLW\ DQG FKDQJHV DW WKH VDPH OHYHO RI RFFXSDWLRQ􀀑 ,Q DPXOWL􀀐UHJUHVVLRQ􀀐DQDO\VLV ZH FRQWUROIRU ZHOO􀀐GRFXPHQWHGSUHGLFWRUV ± VXFK DV OHYHO RIVFKRROLQJ DQG YRFDWLRQDO HGXFDWLRQ􀀏 MRE VWDWXV 􀀏 JHQGHUDQG DJH DV ZHOO DVIRU FRPSDQ\ VL]H􀀑 'HVFULSWLYH UHVXOWV FRQ¿UP WKH H[SHFWHG H̆HFWV􀀏 EXW WKHVH H̆HFWV GLVDSSHDU ZKHQ WKH RWKHU YDULDEOHV DUH WDNHQ LQWR DFFRXQW􀀑 Keywords: HGXFDWLRQDOSDWKZD\V􀀏 MRE FKDQJHV􀀏 WUDQVLWLRQV􀀏 educational activities, gender. Occupational and educational biographies of older workers and their participation in further education in Germany 491 State of research The participation of older workers in lifelong learning is not only a policy issue but becomes more and more a central challenge for human resource development (HRD) experts. For adult educatorsa deeper understanding of structures and motives of older workers educational activities is essential to address this target group properly. The participation of older workers in learning activities can be seen as a meaningful topic for the future, given that the number of older adults and the proportion of older adults in the workforce is expected to increase further. For a long time research into factors predicting adult education participation has been discussed on the basis of cross-sectional data such as coming from adult education surveys. As recent analysis of the PIAAC data show, vocational experiences, job requirements, and job changes seem to have had an impact on educational activities (SchmidtHertha & Rees, 2015; Tikkanen & Nissinen, 2015) . With respect to the meaning of transitions in learning and education (Cross, 1981; SchmidtHertha, 2017) and the learning requirements associated with a new job or position, the impact of job changes on learning activities seems plausible. Nevertheless, cross-sectional data cannot be indicative of causalities. Whilst longitudinal data have already been applied to learn PRUH DERXW WKH HIIHFWV DQG EHQH¿WV RIDGXOW HGXFDWLRQ􀀏 WKH\ KDYH EHHQ applied less for predicting participation (Schuller, Preston, Hammond, Brassett-Grundy & Bynner, 2004) . Against the background of demographic changes and a rapidly increasing percentage of 'elderly' amongst staff, the low rate of participation in vocational further education amongst older workers has become the subject of debates in science, politics, and business. While political programs aim at increasing participation in further education among older workers (e.g. WeGebAU – a German initiative for encouraging further education for lower-skilled and underemployed staff), human resource (HR) managers lament the lack of willingness among older members of staff to learn or to participate in education 􀀋6FKPLGW􀀏 􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀔􀀌􀀑 6FLHQWL¿F VWXGLHV􀀏 KRZHYHU􀀏 VKRZ WKDW􀀏 RQ WKH RQH KDQG􀀏 individual returns from vocational further education depend on age and on average decrease with age (e.g. regarding job security, promotion, or higher income (Lang, 2012; Beicht, Krekel & Walden, 2006)) . On the 492 Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha & Margaretha Müller other hand, there are clear indications that a stronger differentiation DPRQJ ROGHU ZRUNHUV LV QHFHVVDU\ DQG WKDW RWKHU LQÀXHQFLQJ IDFWRUV DUHof relevance that superimpose themselves on age (such as educational TXDOL¿

FAQs

What data source and design does the study use?

The study uses NEPS survey data across six waves, applying analyses to examine links between educational/occupational trajectories and later participation in further education.

Which factors are analyzed as predictors of participation in further education?

The analyses control for formal schooling and vocational education, job status, gender, age, and company size to explain participation patterns in further vocational education and training.

How do job changes and age-related effects relate to participation?

The impact of job changes on learning activities is considered plausible, while age-related effects are shown to diminish when other variables are included, suggesting job situation and living conditions are primary predictors.

Oct 15, 2026

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