Participation in informal (continuing) education

This indicator allows a comparison to be made between different population groups of the equality of opportunity in the access to informal continuing education. Being integrated into the labour market greatly increases a person’s participation in various continuing education activities. The level of education, work-time percentage and status in employment also have an impact on the likelihood of participating in informal continuing education. This, in turn, facilitates integration into the labour market.

Two-thirds of people without a migration background take part in informal education. The population with a migration background from the second generation show the same rates (66%). In contrast, the population with a migration background from the first generation participates significantly less often in this type of education (54%) than the population with no migration background and the population with a migration background from the second or subsequent generations.

Overall, access to informal education is greater the higher the level of education. While less than 40% of the total population with compulsory education as highest education level attended an informal continuing education course in the past 12 months, this figures exceeds 80% in the tertiary level population.

Nevertheless, regardless of educational attainment, people with a migration background from the first generation are less likely to take part in informal education than the population with a migration background from the second or subsequent generations and persons with no migration background. The participation rate in informal education of the population without a migration background is not statistically different to that of people with a migration background from the second generation, irrespective of their level of education.