Economic and regional costs, funding structures and benefits of continuing education

The study focuses on answering two complex questions with regard to an empirical examination of the theory of the economic and regional returns of continuing education:

    The link between participation in continuing training and macro- and regional economic effects, in particular innovation and economic growth.
    The relationship between training costs, financing and participation at the level of individuals, regions and national economies (nation states).

So far there has been a lack of empirical evidence of the national and regional economic returns of continuing training and of studies on the role of different financing models with regard to increasing participation in continuing training. This also applies to comprehensive or comparative studies on the effects of different financing instruments and systems of continuing education and the distribution of costs among the respective financiers. The study therefore aims to examine the mechanisms of action in the area of tension between economic growth/innovation - participation in continuing education - financing of continuing education.

Final event of the project "Economic and regional costs, funding structures and benefits of continuing education":

On Friday, 23 November 2018 the final event of our research project "Economic and regional costs, funding structures and benefits of continuing education" will take place in Berlin.

The project started about three years ago and is part of the BMBF's InnovatWB funding priority. The empirical study focused on two topics:

- On the one hand, we looked intensively at the extent to which participation in continuing education has macroeconomic and regional economic effects, particularly with regard to innovation and economic growth, and to what conditions and mechanisms these effects are subject.
- On the other hand, we investigated the connection between further training costs, financing of further training and participation in further training. Among other things, the focus was on the question of whether different financing and promotion instruments increase the participation of continuing training and to what extent these instruments help to overcome existing barriers to access to (vocational) continuing training.

At the event we would like to present our research results to date and discuss with experts the resulting consequences, requirements and exploitation potential for various actors. The aim is to use our results to stimulate action and, if necessary, to promote the future development of efficient and target-oriented management instruments.

Appointment: Friday, 23 November, 2018
Venue: German Association for Public and Private Welfare (Deutscher Verein für öffentliche und private Fürsorge e.V.), Michaelkirchstraße 17/18, 10179 Berlin-Mitte

Publication