This variable is designed to provide annual data on required job training for all employees. It is generated mainly from plb0073_v# variables, which ask about required formal education. However, it should be noted that this question is asked only every other year to all employed respondents, while people who change jobs or first-time respondents get posed this question every year. This means that not all respondents have to answer this particular question on an annual basis. Up to 2018, three biannually asked questions on required on-the-job training (variables plb0074_v1-v3) with 0/1 coding were additionally used. However, these questions were discontinued afterwards.

For better consistency across years, information from the previous year is carried forward if no job change occurred.

The answer option “completed technical school” was only used from 1990 to 1993 in the East German version of the questionnaire. As noted above, not all employed people are asked annually about their required job training, therefore the value (6) is valid until 1996 for some respondents due to forward imputation.

The code (-2) is assigned to all non-employed respondents and also includes people in occupational training, in occupational retraining programs, and those doing an internship at the time of the survey.