People with migration backgrounds constitute a relatively unknown quantity in continuing education (see Bilger 2006, p. 24). This situation is particularly astonishing in an immigration country like Germany; according to the 2007 micro-census, almost one fifth of the German population (15.4 million) has a migration background (see Statistisches Bundesamt 2008, p. 7). However, the participation of people with migration backgrounds in continuing vocational education programs is considerably lower than that of people without migration backgrounds (see Geerdes 2005, p. 550, Hönekopp 2007, p. 161). This could be due to the fact that an above-average number of people with migration backgrounds have little schooling and vocational training and are often found in poorly paid and/or menial jobs. Numerous studies confirm that these factors negatively influence participation in continuing vocational education (see Behringer 1999; BMBF 2006; Wilkens/Leber 2003). Furthermore, even when controlled for the usually assumed determinants of participation in continuing education such as age, gender, school diplomas and vocational qualifications, a migration background still has a negative influence on the level of participation in continuing vocational education (see Geerdes 2005, pp. 556-557.; Büchel/Pannenberg 2004, p. 35). This could mean that in addition to socio-demographic factors there are other aspects that influence participation in continuing vocational education. In this connection, the current status of the social integration of people with migration backgrounds (such as fluency in the language of the host country, a sense of identification with the host country, etc.) is generally cited as a measure of willingness to participate in continuing education programs (see BMGS 2005, pp. 38, 50-53; Brünning/Kuwan 2002, p. 46; Hönekopp 2000, p. 21). This analysis therefore focuses primarily on the following questions: 1. Do the determinants of social integration influence the participation of people with migration background in continuing vocational education programs? 2. Which of these determinants of social integration explain the negative effect of the migration background on participation in continuing vocational education? The analysis of the determinants of social integration is embedded theoretically in the “concept of assimilation or social integration of immigrants” of Hartmut Esser (1980; 2001).

The analysis is based on data from the years 2001 to 2004 of the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), which provides representative micro-data on private households in Germany. The sample is restricted to people with migration backgrounds who were aged between 19 and 65 since questions concerning continuing educational training are only answered by people under the age of 65 in 2004 within the SOEP. The migration groups are distinguished by using information on nationality, country of birth, immigration group and age at immigration. The data are analysed using a multivariate logistic regression model. The influence of migration backgrounds on participation in continuing vocational education is analysed by controlling socio-cultural factors such as knowledge of the German language, educational level, professional position, and a sense of identification with Germany.

It is assumed that there are differences among the groups of people with migration backgrounds with regard to participation in continuing vocational education programs, depending on school completion certificates, professional positions, linguistic knowledge, the extent of inter-ethnic contacts and friendships as well as a sense of identification with the host country and country of origin. This is clarified via a differentiated view of the groups of people with migration backgrounds. In this way, research on continuing education planning can contribute to a strategy aimed at integration, perhaps with the result of correcting an overly pessimistic view of the migrants in research on (continuing) education and make the successes achieved in integration more visible.