Federal Statistical Office FSO

Population and Education, Education System, Lifelong Learning and Indicators

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA

Federal Statistical Office FSO

Population and Education

Espace de l'Europe 10

CH-2010 Neuchâtel

The Adult Education Survey (AES) covers adults’ participation in education and training (formal - FED, non-formal - NFE and informal learning - INF). The 2022 AES focuses on people aged 18-69. The reference period for the participation in education and training is the twelve months prior to the interview.

Information available from the AES is grouped around the following topics:

• Participation in formal education, non-formal education and training and informal learning
• Volume of instruction hours
• Characteristics of the learning activities
• Reasons for participating
• Obstacles to participation
• Access to information on learning possibilities and guidance
• Employer financing and costs of learning
• Self-reported language skills

For further information see the 2022 AES legislation (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/legislation) and the 2022 AES implementation manual (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/methodology).

- Classification of Learning Activities (CLA, 2016 edition)
- International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011)
- Classification of Occupations 2008 (ISCO 08)
- Classification of economic activities Rev. 2 (NACE Rev. 2)

AES covers all economic sectors.

Definitions as well as the list of variables covered are available in the 2022 AES implementation manual (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/education-and-training/methodology).

Individuals, non-formal learning activities.

Individuals aged 18-69 living in private households.

The country of Switzerland

The 2011 AES was carried out between April 2011 and November 2011

The 2016 AES was carried out between April 2016 and November 2016

The 2022 AES was carried out between April 2021 and June 2021

Not applicable.

Number, EUR.

The reference period is the 12 months prior to the interview.

The fieldwork for the 2022 AES took place from 7 April 2021 to 6 June 2021.

At European level:

Basic legal act: Regulation (EU) 2019/1700

Implementing act: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/861

At national level:

Federal Statistics Act (431.01)

Federal Act on the Federal Census (431.112)

Not applicable.

Data protection and individual privacy are fundamental principles of public statistical work, and statistical secrecy is regulated in the 1992 Federal Statistics Act. Information obtained by the Confederation through statistical surveys may only be used for statistical purposes, and any exceptions must be regulated by law. Statistical secrecy is used to ensure that data about private individuals, companies or businesses are not used for administrative, control, taxation or supervisory activities. It also forbids publication of the findings in a form that allows conclusions to be drawn about private individuals or legal entities. Statistical secrecy is supported by organizational measures, e.g. through the obligation of all persons entrusted with confidential data to maintain secrecy.

The Federal Statistical Office ensures strict protection of individual data. A system of rules, documentation and relevant organisational structure ensures the security and integrity of confidential data. The methods for protecting confidential data are continuously revised and improved. All Federal Statistical Office employees working with microdata are obliged to keep confidential statistical information secret.

No fixed release calendar. The results should be published the latest 12 month after the end of the field period. The release is announced the latest one month before the release.

The release calendar is accessible one month prior to the publication: Agenda | Federal Statistical Office (admin.ch) https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/news/agenda.html

The data is disseminated to all users via www.bfs.admin.ch.

The data are simultaneously published to all interested parties by issuing a press release in German, French, Italian and English.

The main results (tables and charts) are available in German, French and Italian.

Every 5 years.

Main results: 24.05.2022

Main Report: 10.11.2022

Special publication on employer sponsoring: 23.01.2024

Special publication on non-participation in non-formal learning activities: 11.03.2024

Main Report: 10.11.2022

Special publication on employer sponsoring: 23.01.2024

Special publication on non-participation in non-formal learning activities: 11.03.2024

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Microdata is available for research purposes on request. Signing a data protection contract is mandatory. 

None.

Not applicable.

Information is available on the Federal Statistical Office Website in German, French and Italian:

https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/bildung-wissenschaft/erhebungen/mzb.html

Not applicable.

General Quality Management procedures of the Federal Statistical Office are implemented without specific documentation for the Swiss AES.

Quality management encompasses all steps of the survey: planning, development and testing of the questionnaire, sampling, sending out letters of invitation and reminders, interviewer training, interviewer monitoring, data preparation (plausibility checks, weighting), analyses and publication.

Controls are automated where possible. Furthermore, the principle of dual control is consistently applied.

The quality of the implementation of the survey is considered good. Cognitive testing and a field trial indicated that used questionnaire ensures a reliable and valid measurement of the used concepts.  

It is important that the questionnaire is adapted to new forms of delivery of education and training services. For respondents using online resources from certain education provider platforms, it was sometimes not clear, where to report the activity.

The readiness to participate in the survey seems to be dependent on the educational activity of the targeted persons. This might lead to an overestimation of the participation rate in education and training. Part of this bias can be reduced by weighting and calibrating the data.

The Swiss Adult Education Survey covers the user needs in Switzerland and provides comparable data for most important adult education indicators on the European level.

As part of the revision of the questionnaire, the needs of national users were reviewed in a consultation process.

As part of the regular dialogue with national stakeholders, they expressed their satisfaction with the survey and the way in which the data was prepared and published.

The Swiss Adult Education Survey covers the most important variables of the European Adult Education Survey (to which Switzerland participates on a voluntary basis).

In order not to overburden respondents (and due to a doubt on the validity of the measurement) the following variables were not included: 

• Household Income
• Starting month of the last formal education
• Reasons for participating in formal education
• Use of formal education
• Labour market status at the start of the non-formal learning activity 
• Skills acquired within the scope of the non-formal learning activity
• Use of the non-formal learning activity 
• Detailed information was only collected for one non-formal learning activity 
• Purpose of informal learning
• Information on language skills

Not applicable.

The overall accuracy of the results are considered to be good. 

The sample was drawn from the sample frame of the Federal Statistical Office. This sample frame uses data from cantonal and communal population registers, which are updated on a quarterly basis. The net-sample of 14,612 persons (age 25-69) allows for high precision estimates even in a lot of detailed analyses. The response rate of almost 60% in this age group is to be considered good in the current environment.

See table 13.2.1 “Sampling errors - indicators for 2022 AES key statistics” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

See table 13.2.1 “Sampling errors - indicators for 2022 AES key statistics” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

See items 13.3.1 - 13.3.5 below.

Not part of the sampling: persons not living in private households, non-permanent residents.

Not interviewed: persons not able to answer the questionnaire in German, French or Italian.

Other ineligible includes unknown ineligibility, e.g. address unknown.

See table 13.3.1.1 “Over-coverage - rate” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

One questionnaire was developed and programmed for CAWI and then adapted for CATI. Central parts of the questionnaire were tested in cognitive tests. The whole questionnaire was tested in all three languages in an extensive field test (ca. 1,600 respondents). 

Due to the survey theme an over-coverage of participants in non-formal learning activities is possible due to a response bias. It is also possible that some respondents did not remember or report all non-formal learning activities. 

The questions regarding time spent in learning activities as well as costs for learning activities are in many instances educated guesses since respondents do not remember exact figures.   

Quality assessment: The response rate meets the expected target.

Measures taken to reduce unit non-response: 

• opportunity to choose between a CATI or CAWI
• send out of two reminders
• telephone recruitment of persons not having responded to the two reminders
• use of very experienced and well trained interviewers
• specific interviewer instructions were handed out to the interviewers with additional information on the concept of the study as well as on specific questions
• a hotline via email or telephone informed or supported the target persons with regard to all questions or problems they had

As a result, there was hardly any bias in regional characteristics as well as regarding age and sex. As in other surveys persons not having the Swiss nationality tend to have lower response rates. Using calibration weights the bias was eliminated as much as possible. 

The main problem of the Adult Education Survey is, that due to its name it appeals more to persons recently having participated in education or training activities. Older persons as well as low educated and persons not active on the labour market are more difficult to be motivated to participate in the survey. 

See table 13.3.3.1 “Unit non-response - rate” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

See table 13.3.3.2 “Item non-response rate” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Quality measures were implemented to check for processing errors including the application of the Eurostat data checking tool (STRUVAL/CONVAL).

No model calculated.

The first results of the Swiss Adult Education Survey were published with an acceptable time lag of 11 month.  

24.05.2022 (11 months after data collection)

10.11.2022 (17 months after data collection)

See table 14.2 “Project phases - dates” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

See table 15.1 “Deviations from 2022 AES concepts and definitions” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Some additional variables/information related to COVID-19 were collected, see table 15.1 "Comparability - geographical" in annex "CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)".

Not applicable.

The survey was changed from a pure CATI to a multi-mode survey (CAWI-CATI). This required a major adaption of the questionnaire. Having multi-mode survey increased the response rate especially for certain groups (foreign-born, young, population without a fixed net telephone). Mode effects, questionnaire effects, and response rates all have a potential impact on the results which leads to a break in series. 

See also table 15.2 “Comparability - over time” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

There are some differences as regards the size and the distribution of the population between the Swiss AES and EU-LFS. The EU-LFS covers the whole year of 2021, the AES only the first half. 

See table 15.3 “Coherence - cross-domain” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

AES results for a given data collection round are based on the same microdata and results are calculated using the same estimation methods, therefore the data are internally coherent.

The average interview time of the CATI was 18 minutes and 17 for the CAWI. 

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Stratified random sample, register-based sample of target persons. The stratification is based on the Swiss cantons. 

See also table 18.1 “Source data” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Every 5 years.

Multi-mode Survey (CAWI-CATI). Possibility to access the questionnaire via a personalised QR-Code. Possibility for a CATI by phoning a free Hotline. Outbound CATI after the second reminder for persons with a known telephone number.

Data collection period: April to June 2021. 

See also table 18.1 “Source data” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Thorough testing of the questionnaires (completeness, wording, filters). 

Checks for response consistency during the interview (on-line plausibility checks) and after the interview. 

Construction of Eurostat AES variables according to the manual and regulations using survey data in addition with register data (where appropriate). 

See table 18.5.1 “Imputation - rate” in annex “CH - QR tables 2022 AES (excel)”.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Switzerland participates in the AES on a voluntary basis.