Who participates in further formal education and why?

The purpose of this report is to shine a light on participation in organized training, based on results from the Adult Education Survey, which was conducted in 2022. This survey delves into participation patterns across various forms of skill development within the 12 months preceding the interviews. Organized education can happen through participation in the formal education system or through non-formal education and training, like seminars or courses. This report focuses on participation in formal education among adults aged 30 to 69 years, and maps who participates in education, common signifiers in the educations chosen, motivations behind participation and the results of the education. Furthermore, it sheds light on common attributes among adults abstaining from organized training be it formal or non-formal and identifies key barriers to participation.

Around 9 percent of adults aged 30 to 69 years participated in formal education in 2022. There was an overrepresentation of women and of people with higher educational attainment among the participants. More than half of the participants were between 30 and 39 years old. 60 percent of the education that was undertaken was on college/university level, while post-secondary vocational educations constituted 20 percent of all educations undertaken by adults aged 30 to 69. The most common fields of study were within health, as well as teacher- and pedagogical educations. For more than 7 out of 10 participants, at least 5 years had passed from when they achieved their highest completed level of education to when they started the education they undertook in the last 12 months. The majority of participants had a combination of in-person and online classes. Only 1 of 4 participants took part in a program that only offered in-person classes.

There are many reasons to pursue further education as an adult, and the most motivating factors among the participants were the opportunity to get or change jobs and careers, and getting more information about fields and topics they are interested in. The main outcomes after completing education were experiencing personal development and performing better at work, but it is also possible that participation in education can lead to additional outcomes in the future.

54 percent of adults participated in either formal education or non-formal education and training in 2022. This means that 46 percent of adults aged 30 to 69 did not participate in organized learning activities in the last 12 months. Among those who did not participate there was a majority of men, and 6 out of 10 were between the ages of 50 and 69 years old. Most of those who did not participate in organized learning activities, 7 out of 10, have primary school, lower or upper secondary school as their highest archived education level.

Among individuals who did not participate in organized training, around 80 percent did not have a desire to participate in training. Both personal reasons and aspects of the educational provision were hindrances for participation in organized training. Family commitments were the biggest obstacle. The cost of training or inconvenient timing were also common barriers. Among individuals who did not participate in organized training but had a desire to do so, costs were the primary barrier for 21 percent.