For more than ten years now, the National Educational Panel Study has been investigating the educational and employment trajectories as well as the competence development of adults over the life course. Additional to these focal points, various aspects of the respondents' life histories are of interest – such as partnerships, children or retirement. Among other things, further education and various attitudes and beliefs also take up an important part of the annual survey.

The data allow to investigate the following questions:

• Which educational and employment trajectories are observed in Germany?
• For what reasons do individuals participate in formal, non-formal or informal learning activities after initial education?
• How do the competencies of individuals differ and develop, and what role does the employment situation play in this?
• How do specific educational contexts in adulthood (especially employment situation and family constellation) affect educational decisions and participation in further education?
• What are the returns (e.g., wages, employment careers, well-being, or social engagement) of formal qualifications, further education, skills and work experience?
• What skills and resources do migrants possess and to what extent do they participate in further education?
• What opportunities and barriers occur in learning processes and education in late adulthood?
• What impact does technological change and digitization have on educational and employment trajectories?

This stage of the NEPS is now composed of two population groups: Adults born between 1944 and 1986, or up to age 75 (Adult Starting Cohort, SC6), and young adults mainly born between 1994 and 1996 (Starting Cohort Grade 9, SC4). Information from both sub-studies is now available for over ten years.

In special cooperation with: