Abitur and What Next? Reasons for Gaining Double Qualifications in Germany

This paper deals with the reasons for first taking up vocational training after obtaining the German upper secondary school-leaving certificate (Abitur) instead of going straight on to academic education. The study uses the data from the BiBB/BAuA employment survey 2006, where not only educational paths are included, but also the final marks of those interviewed who had passed the Abitur. Our key result is the positive and highly significant impact which the Abitur mark has on the probability of gaining double qualifications. This confirms the hypothesis of Büchel/Helberger (1995) according to which individuals who have passed the Abitur opt to take up in-firm vocational training before going into higher education in order to protect themselves against the risk of failing during the studies. In addition to this there are indications that individuals’ education decisions are also geared towards their employment prospects after training and that double qualifications are chosen especially in fields where there are “related” occupations in Germany’s dual system of vocational training. Furthermore, we do not find significant differences for the sub-samples of western Germans with a university entrance qualification (Abitur) and those with a qualification providing access to studies at a polytechnic (Fachabitur).