Continuing Vocational Training 2020

Introduction

This report presents the results of the sixth survey of continuing vocational training (CVTS6) in private sector enterprises in Ireland (with 10 or more employees) in respect of the year 2020. Appreciation is extended to all enterprises that contributed to the survey.

History of Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS)

The first enterprise survey on continuing vocational training (CVTS1) in respect of the year 1993 was carried out in 1994 in the then 12 Member States of the European Union. The growing policy interest in data on continuing vocational training in enterprises, together with the demand for CVT data to cover the 15 Member States led the European Commission to promote a second continuing vocational training survey (CVTS2). This second survey, co-ordinated by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) in respect of the year 1999 was carried out in 2000 in all the EU Member States, Norway and the then nine candidate countries.

FÁS had responsibility for the conduct of the CVTS1 and CVTS2 surveys in Ireland but the Central Statistics Office (CSO) conducted those since. The implementation of both CVTS1 and CVTS2 was based on “gentlemen’s agreements” between Eurostat and the EU Member States and therefore there was no legal requirement to conduct the survey. For the CVTS3 and beyond, Eurostat proposed a legal basis for the data collection within the European Statistical System, in the form of European Parliament / Council Regulation (EC) No 1552/2005. The objective of the regulation is to create a common statistical standard that permits the production of harmonised data, and thus establishes a common framework, for the production of Community statistics on vocational training in enterprises. Ireland did not participate in CVTS4 while CVTS5 was conducted in 2015.

Legislation

The data on vocational training was collected by the CSO under the European Commission Regulation (EU) No 1153/2014 and Statistics (Continuing Vocational Training Survey) Order 2021 no.89. The information collected is treated as strictly confidential in accordance with the Statistics Act 1993.

Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS6)

The CVTS6 was conducted as a standalone survey during 2021. A sample of enterprises in the private sector (NACE Rev. 2 sections B to N, R and S) with 10 or more employees were surveyed to collect information on their investment in the continuing vocational training (CVT) of their employees. CVT involves training activities that are planned in advance and are organised or supported by the enterprise. The aim of CVT is the acquisition of new competencies amongst staff and the development and improvement of existing ones.

Business Register

The CVTS sample of enterprises was selected from the CSO Central Business Register (CBR). An enterprise is defined as the smallest number of legal units that have decision making autonomy. The NACE code of each enterprise included in the survey was determined from the predominant activity of the enterprise, based on information provided in this or other CSO inquiries. The size class of each enterprise was determined by the number of employees and therefore excluded other persons engaged (people who worked for the enterprise but were not paid a definite wage or salary).

Sample Design

The employer sample was selected based on the proportion of companies in each economic sector and size class cell in line with the guidelines set out in the Commission Regulation (EU) No 1153/2014 for the CVTS6 requirements.

Item and unit non-response

No imputation was carried out in relation to unit non-response, i.e. the weighting of the survey results allowed for the inclusion of these enterprises in the final results. Item non-response, i.e. non-respondent questions in a return, was dealt with by imputing values based on a weighted average of the relevant respondents. Only key variables were imputed for namely: hours worked, labour cost, number of course participants, paid working time spend on courses and CVT costs.  The register of enterprises was not adjusted for decay factors to take account of the proportion of non-relevant respondents that were received where a full census was not conducted.

Final Results

There were 5,700 relevant enterprises in the CVTS6 survey of which 2,500 responded. This was a response rate of 44%. After the fieldwork finished for the survey, the respondent enterprises were then weighted up to the full register of 22,800 enterprises relating to all enterprises in the private sector with 10 or more employees in 2020.

Comparison with results from previous years

The survey results for the CVTS5 are not directly comparable with the results from the CVTS3. The main differences are:

Coverage was reduced for CVTS5 to only cover the private sector as was the case for CVTS2 while CVTS3 covered both the private and the public sectors.

CVTS6 and CVTS5 only covered enterprises with 10 or more employees as was the case for CVTS2 while CVTS3 also covered all enterprises with 3 or more.

One standard questionnaire was used throughout CVTS3 to CVTS6.

In order to provide as comparable a basis as possible for the figures, Table 10 (Comparison of selected indicators for CVTS1(1993), CVTS2(1999), CVTS3(2005), CVTS5(2015) and CVTS6(2020) in Ireland) excludes the education, health and public administration and defence and other services sectors. It also excludes enterprises with 3 to 9 employees.

Definitions

A detailed glossary may be found here.

Continuing Vocational Training (CVT) involves training activities that are planned in advance and are organised or supported by the enterprise.

The aim of CVT is the acquisition of new competencies amongst staff and the development and improvement of existing ones.

For an activity to be classified as a CVT-activity, it must be financed, at least partly, by the enterprise for the persons employed in the enterprise. (Persons employed include those who either have a working contract or who benefit directly from their work for the enterprise such as unpaid family workers and casual workers).

Random learning and initial vocational training (IVT) are explicitly excluded. Persons employed holding an apprenticeship or training contract should not be taken into consideration for CVT. (These could be relevant candidates for IVT - see definition below). There are seven specific methods of continuing vocational training for the purposes of the survey.

Random learning can occur in everyday life. It is not an activity which is intentionally planned in advance and is not bound to special or specific places (e.g. classes) or to mediators (e.g. teachers). Random learning can be considered as a natural learning mechanism. Learner's may often not be aware that they have learnt something.

Initial Vocational Training activities are characterised by the following criteria:

1. The apprenticeship must be a formal education programme (or a component of it). Within the programme learning time alternates between periods of practical training (workplace) and general/theoretical education (educational institution/training centre).

2. The completion of the apprenticeship is mandatory to obtain a qualification or certification for this programme.

3. The duration of the apprenticeship is from 6 months to 6 years. The duration refers to the programme and not only to the work-based component.

4. The apprentices receive remuneration (wage or allowance, in cash or in kind). The training activity or measure is often financed (partly or fully) by the enterprise although this is not a mandatory condition. Apprentices/IVT participants often have a special training contract.

There should be no overlap between the two forms of training; i.e. the same activity/cost was not to be counted as both (general) staff training and training for apprentices/trainees.

Methods of Continuing Vocational Training

CVT courses are typically clearly separated from the active workplace (learning takes place in locations specially assigned for learning like a class room or training centre). They show a high degree of organisation (time, space and content) by a trainer or a training institution. The content is designed for a group of learner's (e.g. a curriculum exists).

Two distinct types of CVT courses are identified -

1. Internal CVT courses are defined as those principally designed and managed by the enterprise itself. It is important that the responsibility for the content of the course lies within the enterprise, that courses are, for example, designed and managed by the internal training department of the enterprise. However, the course can physically take place either within or outside the enterprise. The geographic location relative to the enterprise is not the important issue.
2. External CVTcourses are defined as those principally designed and managed by organisations which are not part of the enterprise itself (e.g. 3rd party organisations). These courses are designed and managed by a training organisation which is not part of the enterprise or by a training organisation which belongs to the parent company of the enterprise. It is important that the responsibility for the content of the course lies outside the enterprise; the course is then selected and ordered/purchased by the enterprise. The course can physically take place either within or outside the enterprise i.e. the geographic location relative to the enterprise is not the important issue.

Other forms of CVT are typically connected to the active work and the active workplace, but they can also include participation (instruction) in conferences, trade fairs etc. for the purpose of learning. These other forms of CVT are often characterised by a degree of self-organisation (time, space and content) by the individual learner or by a group of learner's. The content is often tailored according to the learner's individual needs in the workplace.

1. Guided-on-the job training - is characterised by planned periods of training, instruction or practical experience in the workplace using the normal tools of work, either at the immediate place of work or in the work situation. The training is organised (or initiated) by the employer. A tutor or instructor is present. It is an individual-based activity, i.e. it takes place in small groups only (up to five participants).
2. Job-rotation, exchanges, secondments or study visits - Job rotation within the enterprise and exchanges with other enterprises as well as secondments and study visits are to be considered as forms of CVT only if these measures are planned in advance with the primary intention of developing the skills of the workers involved. Transfers of workers from one job to another which are not part of a planned developmental programme should be excluded.
3. Learning or quality circles - Learning circles are groups of persons employed who come together on a regular basis with the primary aim of learning more about the requirements of the work organisation, work procedures and workplaces. Quality circles are working groups, having the objective of solving production and workplace-based problems through discussion. They are counted as other forms of CVT only if the primary aim of the persons employed who participate is learning.
4. Self-directed learning/e-learning - involves an individual engaging in a planned learning initiative where he or she manages the settings of the learning initiative/activity in terms of time schedule and location. The learning has to be part of a planned initiative for example surfing the internet in an unstructured way should be excluded. Self-directed learning can make use of one or more learning media and can take place in private, public or job-related settings. Self-directed learning might be arranged using open and distance learning methods, video/audio tapes, correspondence, computer based methods (including internet, e-learning) or by means of a Learning Resources Centre. Self-directed learning in connection with CVT courses should not be included here.
5. Attendance at conferences, workshops, trade fairs and lectures - Participation (where instruction is being received) in conferences, workshops, trade fairs and lectures are considered as training actions only when they are planned in advance and if the primary objective of participation by the person employed is training/learning.

Counted only once - If a person employed does a guided-on-the-job training (3) and a job rotation (4), (s)he is counted as a participant in 3 and in 4, i.e. (s)he is counted in each. If a person employed does two guided-on-the-job trainings during 2020, then (s)he should be only counted as one participant in 3.