A Report on Adult Education and Training in Canada: Learning a Living - ARCHIVED

In today's emerging knowledge societies, the capacity of labour markets, firms and individuals to adjust to change, improve productivity and capitalize on technological innovation depends in large measure on the skills of the adult population. Improving the stock of skills available to the economy through investment in adult education and workplace learning has therefore become an issue of considerable strategic importance. But how are the Canadian markets for adult education and training evolving?

This report presents, for the first time, evidence on the development of adult education and training in Canada during the last decade. Examined are not only broad trends in the demand and supply of adult education, but also the factors contributing to observed developments. Survey data collected in 1998 allow readers to gauge the current situation and make comparisons over time and across Canadian provinces. The findings indicate, first, that growth in adult education participation has slowed in recent years, and second, that there are major differences between the provinces in who gets trained, and how much.