Does workplace training participation vary by type of secondary level qualification? England and Germany in comparison

Existing evidence shows that the higher the level of education the higher the likelihood to participate in workplace training. However, we know little about training participation of individuals educated to the secondary level, and whether this may vary by the type of qualification attained, i.e. vocational or general. Vocational qualification holders are known to find employment sooner after school than those with a general qualification but we do not know whether they are also more likely to participate in workplace training. Using data from the 2012 Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and logistic regressions, we investigate whether vocational qualification holders are more likely to participate in workplace training than general ones in Germany and England. Germany is a coordinated labour market economy with a large emphasis on the provision of vocational qualifications which facilitate school-to-work transitions whereas England is an example of liberal labour markets where the focus is on general qualifications. Results show that in Germany general qualification holders are more likely to participate in training compared to vocational ones; however, differences reduce when controlling for endogeneity. In contrast, in England there is no difference between types of qualification

Does workplace training participation vary by type of secondary level qualification? England and Germany in comparison

Existing evidence shows that the higher the level of education the higher the likelihood to participate in workplace training. However, we know little about training participation of individuals educated to the secondary level, and whether this may vary by the type of qualification attained, i.e. vocational or general. Vocational qualification holders are known to find employment sooner after school than those with a general qualification but we do not know whether they are also more likely to participate in workplace training. Using data from the 2012 Programme of International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and logistic regressions, we investigate whether vocational qualification holders are more likely to participate in workplace training than general ones in Germany and England. Germany is a coordinated labour market economy with a large emphasis on the provision of vocational qualifications which facilitate school-to-work transitions whereas England is an example of liberal labour markets where the focus is on general qualifications. Results show that in Germany general qualification holders are more likely to participate in training compared to vocational ones; however, differences reduce when controlling for endogeneity. In contrast, in England there is no difference between types of qualification.</p

Predicting unmet need for social care

Context: Demographic and other pressures have placed strains on the social (long-term) care systems in many countries. An ageing population and cuts to local authority budgets have put pressure on the availability of local authority funded adult social care in England and have raised concerns about unmet social care needs among older people. To prevent care needs going unmet, it is crucial to understand their predictors. However, research on this topic is limited. Objective(s): To understand the predictors of unmet needs for adult social care in England. Method(s): Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002–2012), we employed an activities-based approach to develop a definition of unmet social care needs, drawing on available data, previous literature and consultations with social care users and carers. We then used logistic regression to analyse the factors that predict developing an unmet care need over a 10-year period among a sample of those aged 50 and older. Findings: The likelihood of developing unmet care needs does not differ by factors like gender, wealth, social contact, education or health behaviours. The only significant predictors for unmet needs are living alone, being relatively young (though still over 50), not having a longstanding illness, losing a spouse and developing more severe needs. These findings are robust to a variety of model specifications. Limitations: Results of this analysis may be sensitive to the definition of unmet need employed. Implications: These findings contribute to the current debate on the funding and organisation of adult social care in England and will inform policymakers interested in addressing the issue of unmet social care needs among older people

Is workplace training more beneficial for vocationally educated workers? A comparison between England and Germany

There is evidence that participation in workplace training has a positive effect on wages; however, it is unknown whether training returns differ across different types of educational attainment. This exploration is relevant because it may indicate a way to redress wage gaps in the labour market. Using the German Socio Economic Panel and the British Household Panel Survey, this paper looks at individuals educated at the secondary level in Germany and England and examines whether workplace training has a positive association with wages for them and, if so, whether the returns vary by their type of education, vocational or general. This study uses a difference-in-differences approach and its combination with propensity score matching to address the problem of training endogeneity. Results indicate that training returns differ across countries and by type of educational attainment; however, any significant ‘effects’ disappear when selection of trainees is taken into account demonstrating the importance of model choice on results found

Predicting unmet need for social care

Context: Demographic and other pressures have placed strains on the social (long-term) care systems in many countries. An ageing population and cuts to local authority budgets have put pressure on the availability of local authority funded adult social care in England and have raised concerns about unmet social care needs among older people. To prevent care needs going unmet, it is crucial to understand their predictors. However, research on this topic is limited. Objective(s): To understand the predictors of unmet needs for adult social care in England. Method(s): Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2002–2012), we employed an activities-based approach to develop a definition of unmet social care needs, drawing on available data, previous literature and consultations with social care users and carers. We then used logistic regression to analyse the factors that predict developing an unmet care need over a 10-year period among a sample of those aged 50 and older. Findings: The likelihood of developing unmet care needs does not differ by factors like gender, wealth, social contact, education or health behaviours. The only significant predictors for unmet needs are living alone, being relatively young (though still over 50), not having a longstanding illness, losing a spouse and developing more severe needs. These findings are robust to a variety of model specifications. Limitations: Results of this analysis may be sensitive to the definition of unmet need employed. Implications: These findings contribute to the current debate on the funding and organisation of adult social care in England and will inform policymakers interested in addressing the issue of unmet social care needs among older people

Paradox or Mitigation? Childless and Parent Gender Gaps across British, Finnish, and German Wage Distributions

Part of the welfare paradox is that generous family policies increase private sector employer discrimination particularly against higher-wage women. We argue instead that bundles of generous policies mitigate gender productivity differences among parents, and in turn the discrimination also affecting childless women. We test these assertions by estimating the two gaps across the British, Finnish, and German private sector wage distributions using 2000-2018 panel data and unconditional quantile regression. Because of smaller motherhood penalties below the median, parenthood gaps are smallest in Finland and Germany. In contrast, fatherhood premiums constitute most of the parenthood gap for high-wage German and British women, whereas high-wage British women are disadvantaged by motherhood penalties and fatherhood premiums. The childless gap is also smaller across the bottom of the Finnish and German wage distributions. Overall, our advanced modeling strategy finds strong support for the mitigating effects of generous family policies on gender wage gaps

Returns to workplace training for male and female employees and implications for the gender wage gap: a quantile regression analysis

Context: Existing studies have explored the association between workplace training and wages suggesting that training participation may have a positive association with wages. However, we still know very little about whether this association varies between men and women. Through its potential positive association with wages, training may balance wage differences between men and women. In addition, the gender wage gap varies across the wage distribution. Differences in the association between training participation and wages for men and women across the earnings spectrum may offer an explanation as to why the discrepancy in female/male earnings is larger at some point of the wage distribution compared to others. Approach: Using data from the Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and unconditional quantile regression, this paper examines whether the association between workplace training and wages differs between men and women at different points of the wage distribution across 14 European countries. To partly control for endogeneity in training participation, detailed measures of cognitive skills have been included in the models. Findings: Findings show gender differences in the association between training and wages across the wage distribution. In most countries, results indicate larger training coefficients for women than men at the lower end of the wage spectrum whereas they are larger for men at the top. This pattern holds across most countries with the only exception of Liberal ones, where women benefit less than men across the entire wage spectrum. Conclusions: The findings of this work reveal that distributional variations in returns to workplace training follow a similar pattern across industrialized countries, despite their different institutional settings. Moreover, differences in training coefficients of men and women at different parts of the wage distribution suggest that training could reduce gender wage differences among low earners and potentially widen the gap in wages among individuals at the top of the wage distribution. (DIPF/Orig.

Is Workplace Training more Beneficial for Vocationally Educated Workers? A Comparison Between England and Germany

There is evidence that participation in workplace training has a positive effect on wages; however, it is unknown whether training returns differ across different types of educational attainment. This exploration is relevant because it may indicate a way to redress wage gaps in the labour market. Using the German Socio Economic Panel and the British Household Panel Survey, this paper looks at individuals educated at the secondary level in Germany and England and examines whether workplace training has a positive association with wages for them and, if so, whether the returns vary by their type of education, vocational or general. This study uses a difference-in-differences approach and its combination with propensity score matching to address the problem of training endogeneity. Results indicate that training returns differ across countries and by type of educational attainment; however, any significant ’effects" disappear when selection of trainees is taken into account demonstrating the importance of model choice on results found