Relevance
The Continuing Vocational
Training Survey (CVTS) collects information on enterprises’ investment in the
continuing vocational training of their staff. Continuing vocational training (CVT) refers to education or training
measures or activities which are financed, in total or partly,
by the enterprise (directly or indirectly). Information is collected also on number of
training/non-training enterprises, participation in CVT, planning and
assessment of CVT, cost of CVT courses, and time spent on CVT courses.
The scope and content of CVTS is
governed by Commission Regulation No. 1153/2014, implementing Regulation
1552/2005.
Methodological
description of survey
The target population consists of
all business enterprises employing 10 or more employees with the exclusion of
those companies which fall under NACE O (Public administration and defence;
compulsory social security), P (Education), and Q (Human health and social work
activities).
The survey is carried every 5
years, and a sample of enterprises is selected by a stratified random sampling
approach based on margin of error relative to mean employment within strata.
Around 1,400 enterprises are
selected to participate in the survey. A copy of the survey is sent first by
mail, followed by a reminder by means of an email. Finally face to face interviewing is adopted
for enterprises that did not submit their response.
Accuracy and
reliability of data
Coherence and consistency checks
with respect to other main indicators from other sources are made prior to
submission of microdata to Eurostat. Core CVTS variables are compared with
similar (possible minor difference in definitions) variables from Labour Cost
Survey, Job Vacancy Survey and Structural Business Statistics.
Timeliness and
punctuality of data
No news release is published with
regards to CVTS but data is transmitted to Eurostat before the stipulated deadlines,
that is, no later than 18 months after the end of the reference year and
subsequently put on the Eurostat’s website.
Accessibility and
clarity of data
After the collection of CVTS
data, a quality report is produced and sent to Eurostat.
In 2001, a onetime publication
entitled ‘Continuing Vocational Training Survey’ was published for the
reference period between January and December 1999. This publication is available on the NSO’s
website.
Coherence and
comparability/consistency of data
Data related to CVTS is
comparable across all European Union member states given that all countries
conduct their surveys in line with regulation requirements.
Locally CVTS was undertaken
for the first time in the year 2000 covering the reference year 1999, and data
can be said to be comparable over time.
Full comparability with Structural Business
Statistics (SBS) is not possible due to differences in NACE and size classes,
and due to the slightly different definition of persons employed used in CVTS.