Missing the Mark: Exploring Participation Rates and Challenges to Engage Low-Skilled Adults in Education and Training

The demand for adult training opportunities is substantial as labor markets often require adult workers to obtain advanced skills. Opportunities to obtain advanced skills are often pursued by high-income and high-skilled workers whereas low-skilled or low-income adult workers are less likely to participate. For this study, we used data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) for the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden to compare participation rates in non-formal education (NFE) by high and low-skilled adults. Additionally, to gain insights of adult education and training policies that promote NFE, international key informant interviews (n = 33) and document reviews were conducted. Major findings include (a) as compared to high-skilled adults, low-skilled adults are less likely to participate in NFE; (b) as compared to the U.S., low-skilled workers in Norway and the Netherlands are more likely to participate in NFE; and (c) non-formal education is often more acceptable to low-skilled adults due to previous negative experiences with formal education. Countries were selected based on qualitative findings that will inform best practices. [For the full proceedings, see ED613257.]