Table 4 Sample characteristics for different training professionals (N = 480)
From: General digital competences of beginning trainees in commercial vocational education and training
| Â | Proportion/mean (M) with standard deviation (SD) in parenthesis | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  | Industrial clerks (n = 205) | Retail sales-persons (n = 145) | Sales-persons (n = 130) | Total sample (n = 480) |
Sex | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Male | 31% | 38% | 46% | 37% |
 Female | 69% | 59% | 52% | 61% |
 Diverse | 0% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Age | 19.21 (1.97) | 19.38 (2.62) | 19.66 (5.59) | 19.38 (2.35) |
Prior vocational apprenticeship | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Yes | 7% | 12% | 16% | 11% |
 No | 93% | 88% | 84% | 89% |
School leaving certificate | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Dropout | 0% | 1% | 3% | 1% |
 Lower school certification (Hauptschule) | 1% | 22% | 48% | 20% |
 General Certificate of Secondary Education (Realschule) | 33% | 61% | 40% | 43% |
 Advanced technical college entrance qualification (Fachhochschulreife) | 33% | 8% | 4% | 18% |
 University entrance qualification (Abitur) | 33% | 8% | 5% | 18% |
Collecting information and learning | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Using searching tools on the internet to find content/information | 76% | 55% | 39% | 59% |
 Viewing online videos | 68% | 70% | 69% | 69% |
 Using digital maps and route guidance systems | 49% | 41% | 35% | 43% |
 Using learning opportunities on the internet | 10% | 17% | 15% | 14% |
Communication and collaboration | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Using instant messaging services | 83% | 73% | 67% | 76% |
 Using cloud services | 21% | 17% | 18% | 19% |
 Collaborating within a team via online tools | 6% | 8% | 12% | 8% |
Generating content | Â | Â | Â | Â |
 Using office programs | 72% | 23% | 20% | 43% |
 Reading blogs and forums or creating blog entries | 19% | 21% | 15% | 19% |