This report provides an analysis of employer-supported training in Australia. Employer-supported training is the largest share of adult education and training in all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. It has benefits for individuals, firms, and society. Cross-country studies have shown a positive association…

The goal of workplace learning should be development of robust vocational knowledge. A model to achieve this includes guided learning strategies such as modeling, coaching, and questioning used by expert co-workers and opportunities for participation in workplace activities that provide learning experiences. (SK)

The changes in the composition of the labor force and the changing personal needs of older people are creating powerful incentives for them to remain in or reenter the work force. For many, this will mean job training or retraining. Training for older workers is provided through both private companies and publicly funded programs such as the Job…

A study of 1,031 full-time workers in Iowa found that those with more education, especially four-year degrees or graduate education, spent significantly more time on work-related learning, were more predisposed toward it, were more aware of employers' training policies and benefits, and more likely to use them than were adults with high school…

Between 1991 and 1995, the percentage of employed workers participating in skill improvement training (SIT) for their current job increased from 30 to 32%. Participation in SIT increased for full- and part-time workers alike. In 1995, participation for a current job was highest among females and individuals in the 35-54 age group. Participation…

Data from the Mature Women's cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys were used in an analysis of the acquisition of education and training by women at later ages over the 1979-89 period. These data described a sample of women who were between the ages of 30 and 45 in 1967 and who had been interviewed regularly at later intervals. Between the…

The relationship between prior educational attainment and participation in formal and On-the-Job Training (OJT) in Australia was examined through an analysis of unit record data from the 1993 Survey of Training and Education that was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Univariate analyses were performed to document employee…

In 2000, a quantitative telephone survey of 2,098 businesses in Australia determined employer awareness of and participation in structured workplace learning (SWL) programs. It explored "drivers" of participation and employers' decision-making process. Comparisons with a 1998 survey identified changes in employer awareness, attitudes,…

We use quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the links between participation in adult learning and self-efficacy, particularly for the subgroup of adults who had low levels of achievement at school. We focus on self-efficacy because it translates into a range of wider benefits and because it may afford protection from depression and…

An Australian study examined the relationship between current and past participation in education and training in small business and success or failure and how small businesses decide how to improve knowledge and skills. Telephone surveys were conducted with 181 small businesses in 4 industries in 3 metropolitan and 3 non-metropolitan regions.…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on increasing participation in learning that was conducted as part of a conference on human resource development (HRD). "Factors Influencing Employee Participation in Training: An Empirical Investigation" (Reid A. Bates) reports on a mediated model of employee participation in training…

This report describes apprenticeship system development in Australia and provides a quantitative macro-level analysis of apprenticeship, traineeship, and new apprenticeship trends. Following an introduction (chapter 1), chapters 2-3 trace its European origins and establishment in colonial Australia, development and evolution through the twentieth…