Determinants of formal and informal Canadian adult learning: insights from the Adult Education and Training Surveys

The urgency of expanding adult learning to support economic growth and higher living standards has put the focus on adults’ readiness to engage in learning. In a time of evidence-based policy making there is a growing need to develop a better understanding of the factors that determine participation in adult education and training. This paper examines the factors underlying the observed trends and patterns in participation in formal and informal job-related training during the period from 1993 to 2002, using the Adult Education and Training Surveys (AETS) conducted in 1993, 1997 and 2002.