How Social and Human Capital Predict Participation in Lifelong Learning: A Longitudinal Data Analysis

Policy makers and researchers are increasingly showing interest in lifelong learning due to a rising unemployment rate in recent years. Much attention has been paid to determinants and benefits of lifelong learning but not to the impact of social capital on lifelong learning so far. In this article, we study how social and human capital can predict participation in lifelong learning in (non)formal settings. We use, in contrast with previous studies, longitudinal data to test the hypothesis that the impact of social capital on lifelong learning in (non)formal settings differs according to the educational degree one has attained during initial schooling. Although our findings indicate that human capital, labor market position, and other individual characteristics are more important predictors of lifelong learning than social capital, they also indicate that social capital can still be beneficial for those who do not have a higher educational degree.