Martina Dieckhoff

A Re‐Assessment of Common Theoretical Approaches to Explain Gender Differences in Continuing Training Participation

It is often argued that gender differences in access to continuing training are a central cause of persisting gender inequalities in occupational attainment. Yet existing empirical work has presented rather mixed evidence regarding a potential sex gap in training participation. In this article, we carry out an empirical test of the central theoretical models commonly used to explain gender differences in continuing training participation. Using the European Social Survey, we find that male employees are more likely to train than their female colleagues, controlling for worker, firm and job characteristics, with some tentative evidence for differences across countries. Common theoretical approaches to understanding gender differences in continuing skill investment to some degree explain mens training incidence, while they largely fail to predict that of women.

WHAT MATTERS IN THE TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN GERMANY

ABSTRACT The German multi-tiered school system functions as an institutional mechanism which prevents students from certain social class backgrounds from fulfilling their individual learning potential. Their cognitive abilities are not transformed into corresponding school performances and credentials. Against this backdrop, we ask whether the transition from school to vocational training may enable young people with intermediate and those with lower secondary school degrees to demonstrate their cognitive abilities irrespective of school certificates. We further aim to scrutinise the role of personality traits (Big Five) during the transition process. The analyses based on the German Socio-Economic Panel show – in line with previous research – that type of school degree is crucial in the transition process: Those with intermediate school degrees have faster transitions than those with lower degrees. Moreover, our findings suggest that the relative impact of credentials, cognitive abilities, and personality on labour market success cannot be answered universally. Instead, the relevant mechanisms appear to vary substantially by type of school degree.

The Renewed Lisbon Strategy and Social Exclusion Policy

In the light of its manifest mid-term failure to make progress towards its key objectives, the EU introduced in 2005 a major relaunch of its Lisbon Strategy for economic, employment and social development. The core aspect of this was prioritization, involving an increased focus on growth and jobs. This raised the issue of whether the pursuit of greater competitiveness would lead to a downgrading of the importance of the original social objectives of the program. In its focal concern on the fight against social exclusion, the EUs strategy involved both employment and social objectives. These emphasized in particular the creation not only of more but of better jobs and the pursuit of actions to reinforce social inclusion and social cohesion. This article considers whether a significant shift did occur in policy emphasis and the implications of the Lisbon reform for progress in reducing the risks of social exclusion. It reviews first the basic changes in the formulation of the strategy and then examines in turn the effectiveness of its policy initiatives with respect to employment, the quality of work and social inclusion.

Skills and occupational attainment: a comparative study of Germany, Denmark and the UK:

This article investigates the impact of vocational education and training on labour market outcomes in Germany, Denmark, and the UK. Using the European Community Household Panel the article analyses how workers with vocational training fare in comparison to both their untrained counterparts and those with higher levels of general education. Three outcomes are examined: wages, the odds of being in a lower-skilled job, and the odds of being in professional employment. The results show that returns to vocational training differ markedly across the three countries studied.

Unemployed and alone? Unemployment and social participation in Europe

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between unemployment and social participation and aim to identify the role of national policies and attitudes as possible mediators. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use the 2006 EU-SILC module on social participation – a data set that provides rich information on social participation for 22/23 EU countries. They adopt a two-step multi-level design, allowing them to directly examine the impact of national policies and norms on individual outcome. Findings – The paper reveals clear evidence that the unemployed have lower levels of social participation than the employed across a range of indicators. The paper also reveals that macro-level variables significantly affect the extent of these differentials in social participation. For instance, the authors found that societies that expose the unemployed to poverty risk have a larger social participation gap between the employed and the unemployed. Originality/value – While the negative ...

Institutional reforms and age-graded labour market inequalities in Europe

This article examines how institutional change affects age-based labour market inequalities in Europe. We focus on the impact of labour regulation and of wage-setting institutions on the male population aged 25–54. Age-graded labour market inequalities within this group of prime-age individuals are hitherto under-researched. We estimate country panel regressions using data from the European Union Labour Force Survey and time-series data on institutional change for the years 1992–2007. The results present evidence that employment protection and the regulation of temporary work affect age-based inequality dynamics, while union strength has positive employment effects on all age-groups.