measuring the outputs and outcomes of vocational training

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10 available. There is still scope for further analysis and for generating new indicators, especially on outputs of learning and attitudes towards learning. The coverage of data will be comparable with the forthcoming surveys (e.g. AES) and proxies for participation by field of study could become available following the revision of the LFS coding of ISCED 3C. The European Community Household Panel (ECHP) is the EU survey that provides information on issues like a household’s income and poverty level. The survey was carried out between 1994 and 2001. Some of the ECHP variables have been used to generate statistics and indicators on outputs of vocational training (e.g. participation in vocational training by type of programme or by objective of training) which, crossed with the socio-demographic background variables, have shown interesting results. One weakness of the survey is that it follows the ISCED 76 levels of education which restricts the comparability with the following surveys using ISCED 97 and different fields of study. ECHP data show firstly that training and investment in research and development are complementary, but the degree of complementarity is lower for graduates from college, and secondly that when schooling is more comprehensive, graduates from high-schools require less training to adapt to technical progress (Bassanini et al., 2005). From 2003 ECHP was replaced by a survey on income and living conditions (EU-SILC). This survey will provide information on an annual basis on outputs of vocational training (such as educational attainment levels) which could again be crossed with background variables. There are at least two important strengths of EU-SILC; the first related to the possibility of getting cross-sectional and longitudinal variables related to current activity status (i.e. current main job, including information on the last main job for the unemployed). The second advantage of EU-SILC is the possibility of running ad-hoc modules (as in the LFS) in order to gather additional information on a specific topic. Three ad-hoc modules are already planned in the EU-SILC: intergenerational transfer of poverty (reference year 2005), social protection (reference year 2006), and housing inadequacy (reference year 2007). There is scope to run a specific ad-hoc module on household expenditure on vocational training in 2009 which, along with the LFS ad-hoc module that will be carried out in the same year on entry of young people into the labour market, would be a rich source of information on outcomes of vocational training. The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) is an individual survey which was carried out by the OECD and Statistics Canada in the 1990s. Data is available only for some EU Member States: Ireland, the Netherlands and Poland (reference year 1994); Belgium (Flanders only) and the United Kingdom (reference year 1998); the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland and Hungary (reference year 1998). The coverage of training includes training offered to employees in the past twelve months and includes details on the three most recent courses. These details refer to duration, purpose, financing, training provider, etc.). In the survey a distinction was made between job- or career-related training and training for other purposes. Furthermore, training courses were divided into seven mutually exclusive categories, based on level of education and type of programme. IALS and its follow-up (Adult
11 Literacy and Life Skills Survey with data available only for Italy, 2003) are a rich source of output, and especially outcome, indicators on vocational training (including social outcomes). Several measures could be used to measure the outcomes of vocational training, both job-related and training for other purposes. IALS data can be extensively used for analysis with a view to gaining policy insights. Eurobarometer is an opinion poll run by the Directorate General for Press and Communication (DG PRESS) and conducted by opinion poll companies to gather information on a certain topic (public opinion and attitudes towards it). At present results relevant to education and training are available from two Eurobarometer polls on: experiences and attitudes towards learning (reference year 2003) and continuing and initial education and training (reference year 2004). The questionnaires were developed by Cedefop in cooperation with the Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) and the European Opinion Research Group (EORG), working on behalf of DG PRESS. In all Eurobarometer surveys, the following socio-demographic variables are collected on a standard basis: gender, age, civil status, political opinion (left-right scale), age when finishing full-time education and training, source of household income, range of income, current and last occupation and size of residential community. This analysis focuses mainly on sex, age, level of education and occupation. Eurobarometer categories use four age-groups: 15-24, 25-39, 40-54 and 55+. Eurobarometer categories do not correspond to ISCED levels of education, but are based instead on the question “How old were you when you stopped full-time education” Answers are allocated to one of four categories: up to 15 years old; between 16-19 years old; at age 20 or older and those still studying. Respondents are also allocated to one of the following occupational categories: self-employed, managers, other white collar employees, manual workers, full-time homemakers, unemployed and retired. The retired include not only those retiring in the usual way on reaching a certain age, but also those retiring early on health grounds. Education and occupation are combined to produce a proxy that enables breakdowns comparing three contrasting groups of people: highly educated with a high-level job, less-well educated with a low-level job, less-well educated who are not active in the labour force. III. Pitfalls in comparing indicators generated 4 from different collections on vocational training Through the collection of information on vocational training at each different level (individual/employee, employer, company, system) on a cross-nationally comparable basis, every new survey 4 There are differences between data generation and data provision. A data provider is an organisation which runs specific data collection exercises such as (inter)national surveys, in order to obtain information which is
Page 1 and 2: Institute for the Protection and Se
Page 3 and 4: 3 Abstract This paper proposes a ne
Page 5 and 6: 5 1. Hours in continuing vocational
Page 7 and 8: 7 1. Data gathered from administrat
Page 9: 9 Countries on a legal basis. While
Page 13 and 14: 13 survey training index constructe
Page 15: In defining the components of such
Page 18 and 19: Measuring the outputs and outcomes
Page 20: The mission of the Joint Research C

measuring the outputs and outcomes of vocational training

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