A study was conducted of participants in employer- and employee-initiated customized training (CT) provided by the Minnesota Technical Colleges to profile their employment backgrounds, education and training experiences, and reasons for participation. The study was based on a random sample of 2,309 customized training participants enrolled in 1 of 6 Minnesota technical colleges during the 1992-93 academic year. Study findings, based on a 58% response rate, included the following: (1) more than half of all participants were over the age of 40; (2) 54% were female; (3) 29% had a bachelor's degree or higher; (4) while 10% of the CT participants in employer-initiated programs already held a degree, diploma, or certificate from a Minnesota technical college, 23% of this group held a 1- or 2-year formal award from another type of institution; (5) 94% were currently employed, with a median of 7 years experience with their current employer; (6) 80% reported using only one form of technical college training; (7) employer-initiated training participants were much more likely to have their coursework partially financed by their employers than employee-initiated participants; (8) while employers provided training for many reasons, improving procedures and meeting regulatory requirements were the most commonly cited; (9) a high proportion of participants took "soft" skills courses; e.g., communication skills and managerial/supervisor training; (10) more than 75% planned to upgrade their skills rather than change careers; and (11) 84% planned to seek additional training in 1994-95, and nearly one-third of these planned to receive their education from a college or university. The survey instrument is attached. (KP)