More than two in five adults who do not participate in training say that they do not have the time because of work of family commitments. The OECD can support countries in developing more flexible adult learning options that reduce barriers to participation, particularly for the groups who are most under-represented in training.
Adult learning
The extent to which individuals, firms and economies can reap the benefits of changes in the world of work depends on how well adults can develop and maintain relevant skills over their working lives. Adult learning systems need to be made more flexible, responsive and future-ready, with governments sharing international good practice examples to improve training participation and outcomes.
Key messages
Formal and non-formal training are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to adult learning. A lot of learning is acquired through work experience and informal exchanges at work. Recognising and certifying this type of learning is crucial especially for adults without qualifications. The OECD supports countries in developing accessible and efficient systems for the recognition of prior learning to facilitate access to the labour market and further education.
Micro-credentials (small learning courses awarding a certificate) and skills-first approaches are crucial for broadening the talent pool, for reskilling rapidly to address shortages, and for increasing diversity at work. The OECD supports countries in setting up micro-credential systems in formal and non-formal education and training.
Adult learning is only effective if the training available is of high quality. Quality assurance systems are essential for making sure that every element of the training programme fits the overall objective. Trainers should be well qualified, programmes and methodologies should be modern, training organisations should be professional, and training should meet the needs of both the individuals and the labour market. In addition, monitoring and evaluation are crucial to guarantee cost effectiveness.
Context
Participating in training
Participating in training is vital for adults to improve their skills. However, participation is actually lowest for adults who need training the most, such as the low-skilled. This is due largely to a lack of awareness and motivation to train but there are also concrete barriers such as the lack of time due to work and family responsibilities and the cost of training.
The gap in training participation between the medium-to-high-skilled and the low-skilled is extremely large, at over 20 percentage points on average across OECD countries, with peaks of over 30 percentage points in some countries. Getting the low-skilled on board is crucial to raise overall participation and to prepare the most vulnerable for the future of work.
Employer-provided training
Employers play a key role in providing training to their workers, particularly when new technologies are adopted or changes in work organisation are implemented. Such training is essential to maintain competitiveness and raise productivity. But while large firms provide a significant amount of training, SMEs struggle to understand its value, identify relevant content and pay for courses. The gap in the provision of continuous training between large and small enterprises is close to 40 percentage points on average across European countries but reaches over 50 percentage points in some cases. Governments stand to play a crucial role in providing incentives for all businesses, especially small ones, to train their workers.
High performance work practices
Organisations that adopt high performance work practices make the most of the skills of their employees. Workers who are allowed to experiment with different ways to do their tasks, who are given autonomy to organise their time and who work in autonomous teams use their skills better and are more satisfied at work. High performance work practices also increase the returns to training.
On average across countries for which data is available, only 25% of firms apply high performance work practices. There are significant differences across countries, ranging from just 10% to 40% of firms organising work this way. As much of the learning happens at work, often informally through learning by doing or learning from colleagues and supervisors, fostering a learning culture in the workplace is crucial for firm productivity and work satisfaction.
