1. Item 8.2 Review of core social variables
Sabine Gagel Eurostat F5
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

2. Education and Training Statistics Working Group – 16-17 June 2015
Outline
Standardisation of variables
Process
Link to IESS
P1 variables in the ET domain
Changes after consultation
Further explanations
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

3. Standardisation of variables – process (1)
Variables used in more than one EU social survey
Concepts and data transmission categories to be standardised
Aim: detailed methodological manual ('standard sheets')
28 variables concerned
P1: 17 variables
Process started in 2014
3 ET domain  ETS WG has the lead
P2: 11 variables
None in ET domain
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

4. Standardisation of variables – process (2)
Eurostat proposal
Internally agreed
Consultation lead working group
Written consultation February 2015
Today: final discussion
Consultation of other working groups
P1 variables in September 2015
Agreed draft P1 and P2 to DSS
Beginning 2016
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

5. Standardisation of variables and IESS
IESS = framework regulation on integrated European social statistics
Some variables to be in the legislation
'Core variables'
IESS, article 4: 'elements common to several data collections'
Subordinate legislation
label and corresponding codes of the variable
short description of the variable
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

6. P1 variables in the ET domain
Educational attainment level
This is a core variable
Participation in formal education and training (student or apprentice) in <reference period>
Level of the current/most recent formal education or training activity
ETS WG consulted in February 2015
12 replies + CEDEFOP
Revised version for final discussion and approval
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

7. Changes after ETS WG consultation
Educational attainment level
Name – 'level' added
Variable concept – definition further aligned with EA guidelines
Standard concept system
aligned to ISCED 2011 wording
ISCED-A codes added
breakdown by orientation added for ISCED 5
Implementation guidelines – clarifications
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

8. Changes after ETS WG consultation
Participation in FED
Implementation guidelines
redundant information removed
apprentices – criterion of pay softened
Level of FED
Standard concept system
aligned to ISCED 2011 wording
ISCED-P codes added
breakdown by orientation added for ISCED 5
Implementation guidelines – clarifications
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

9. Standard sheets – some explanations (1)
Variable concept and category concept
Definitions and how to allocate observations to categories
One common definition for variables used in more than one survey
Standard concept system
Not all surveys have to collect data at the same level of detail
'Level of detail' to be decided for each implementation
Categories for data transmission, not for data collection
Standard categories
'not stated' = 'no answer'
'not applicable' = filters (implementation or variable specific)
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

10. Standard sheets – some explanations (2)
Implementation guidelines, reference question
General guidance and good practice
Deviations in national implementations might impact comparability  to be reported in metadata
Comments made during consultation
Proxy interviews: recommendation is not to use proxies even if in practice they will be used in some surveys
EA = most recent qualification: ISCED §87 – systematic differences to be reported in metadata
Students on holidays: no standard category for data transmission but could be useful as auxiliary category in data collection
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015

11. Education and Training Statistics Working Group – 16-17 June 2015
The ETS WG is invited to:
Take note of the process of standardisation of 28 variables used in more than one EU social survey.
Discuss and approve the revised descriptions of the three P1 variables in the education and training domain.
Education and Training Statistics Working Group – June 2015