Lifelong Learning Inequality? The Relevance of Family Background for On-the-Job Training

TLDR

Intergenerational persistence of formal education and determinants of non‑formal training have been studied separately, but their joint analysis remains unexplored, and theory suggests family background may influence training. The study asks whether individuals from low‑qualified families compensate for limited formal education through non‑formal training in adulthood. Using the German ALWA survey, the author estimates how family background affects participation in on‑the‑job training. Low‑qualified family background is negatively associated with both the likelihood and frequency of on‑the‑job training, even after controlling for education, ability, personality, job and firm characteristics.

Abstract

Despite ample evidence on intergenerational persistence of formal education as well as on the determinants of non-formal training, these issues have not yet been analysed jointly. The question remains whether people from low-qualified family backgrounds make up for their relatively sparse own formal education by means of non-formal training during adulthood. Hypotheses based on economic theory and findings from various other disciplines suggest otherwise. I use the German ALWA survey to estimate the influence of family background on non-formal training participation. Count data analyses show that a low-qualified family background is negatively related to both likelihood and frequency of on-the-job training. This result holds when controlling for education, ability and personality as well as job and firm characteristics.