The contribution of adult learning to intergenerational social mobility in England: findings from the British Household Panel Survey

Presenter: Arianna Tassinari, Office for National Statistics

Author: Arianna Tassinari

Co-author(s): Rosie Gloster and Vahe Nafilyan

Increasing inter- and intra-generational social mobility within UK society has been a key policy concern for successive governments. There is a consensus in the literature that higher levels of educational attainment or skills open-up access to higher level occupations and wages. However, several sources of evidence suggest a low degree of inter-generational mobility in the UK. Patterns of (dis)advantage tend to be replicated between generations, with individuals’ life-chances being strongly associated with the education, occupation and earnings of their parents. Our paper explores the contribution of adult learning to inter-generational social mobility.

Using logistic regression methods and focusing on a sub-sample of low qualified adults in England, we analyse waves 8-21 of the British Household Panel Survey to explore whether participation in adult education (i.e. having acquired a qualification through adult learning in Further Education or having undertaken non-formal adult learning) can offer ‘second chances’ to low-qualified adults, and in particular whether it can mitigate the relationship between parental background and an individual’s own socio-economic status at different points in time (one and five years after participation in learning).

A distinctive, positive effect of participation in adult learning for inter-generational mobility is found when considering outcomes five years after participation in adult education. In particular, we find that participation in adult learning leading to qualifications at level 3 or to other professional qualifications significantly decreases the effect of parental education on individuals’ own socio-economic position. We implement further modelling techniques to test the validity of our identification assumptions.