Keyword search

The Adult Education and Training Survey (AETS) is Canada's most comprehensive source of data on individual participation in formal adult education and training. It is the only Canadian survey to collect detailed information about the skill development efforts of the entire adult Canadian population. The AETS provides information about the main subject of training activities, their provider, duration and the sources and types of support for training. Furthermore, the AETS allows for the examination of the socio-economic and demographic profiles of both training participants and non-participants. This survey also identifies barriers faced by individuals who wish to take some form of training but cannot. The AETS was administered three times during the 1990s, in 1992, 1994 and 1998, as a supplement to the Labour Force Survey (LFS).

The content of the AETS was revised to take into account recommendations coming from consultation exercises. As a result, more than half of the 2003 survey is made up of new questions and the target population has been modified.

The main objectives are:1) To measure the incidence and intensity of adults' participation in job-related formal training.2) To profile employer support to job-related formal training.3) To analyze the aspects of job-related training activities such as: training provider, expenses, financial support, motivations, outcomes and difficulties experienced while training.4) To identify the barriers preventing individuals from participating in the job-related formal training they want or need to take.5) To identify reasons explaining adults' lack of participation and of interest in job-related formal training.6) To relate adults' current participation patterns to their past involvement in and plans about future participation in job-related training.7) To measure the incidence and frequency of adults' participation in job-related informal training.8) To examine the interactions between participation in formal and informal job-related training.

The population covered by the AETS consists of Canadians 25 years of age and older. This is a change from the population previously targeted by the AETS, which consisted of Canadians aged 17 years of age and older. A primary consideration for this change was the practical difficulties in applying the definition of adult education to individuals in the 17 to 24 years of age group. By definition, adult education excludes students who are still involved in their first or initial stage of schooling. As previous AETS did not precisely identify students still in their initial stage of schooling, analyses using these data had to rely on an ad hoc definition of adult learners. According to this definition, individuals aged 17 to 24 who were not in one of the following situations were excluded from the analysis: full-time students subsidized by an employer and full-time students over 19 enrolled in elementary or secondary programs.

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.

The guide lists and briefly describes the main sources of data, and for each source gives: data coverage, main variables available, strengths and limitation of the data, historical continuity, frequency and means of dissemination, indication of the type of analysis that can be performed.

The adult education and training sector is as complex as it is dynamic. In order to describe all its facets, Statistics Canada surveys many different populations. Given the number of data sources and their conceptual and methodological differences, it is sometimes very difficult for researchers and decision makers to obtain required information or data. This guide is a tool that has been developed to assist them. It provides a summary description of all Statistics Canada surveys related to adult education and training. From a selected variable, it allows the identification of surveys that can provide information. It also indicates relevant publications and how to obtain additional information.

The Adult Education and Training Survey (AETS) is Canada's most comprehensive source of data on individual participation in formal adult education and training. It is the only Canadian survey to collect detailed information about the skill development efforts of the entire adult Canadian population. The AETS provides information about the main subject of training activities, their provider, duration and the sources and types of support for training. Furthermore, the AETS allows for the examination of the socio-economic and demographic profiles of both training participants and non-participants. This survey also identifies barriers faced by individuals who wish to take some form of training but cannot. The AETS was administered three times during the 1990s, in 1992, 1994 and 1998, as a supplement to the Labour Force Survey (LFS).

The content of the AETS was revised to take into account recommendations coming from consultation exercises. As a result, more than half of the 2003 survey is made up of new questions and the target population has been modified.

The main objectives are:1) To measure the incidence and intensity of adults' participation in job-related formal training.2) To profile employer support to job-related formal training.3) To analyze the aspects of job-related training activities such as: training provider, expenses, financial support, motivations, outcomes and difficulties experienced while training.4) To identify the barriers preventing individuals from participating in the job-related formal training they want or need to take.5) To identify reasons explaining adults' lack of participation and of interest in job-related formal training.6) To relate adults' current participation patterns to their past involvement in and plans about future participation in job-related training.7) To measure the incidence and frequency of adults' participation in job-related informal training.8) To examine the interactions between participation in formal and informal job-related training.

The population covered by the AETS consists of Canadians 25 years of age and older. This is a change from the population previously targeted by the AETS, which consisted of Canadians aged 17 years of age and older. A primary consideration for this change was the practical difficulties in applying the definition of adult education to individuals in the 17 to 24 years of age group. By definition, adult education excludes students who are still involved in their first or initial stage of schooling. As previous AETS did not precisely identify students still in their initial stage of schooling, analyses using these data had to rely on an ad hoc definition of adult learners. According to this definition, individuals aged 17 to 24 who were not in one of the following situations were excluded from the analysis: full-time students subsidized by an employer and full-time students over 19 enrolled in elementary or secondary programs.

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.

The guide lists and briefly describes the main sources of data, and for each source gives: data coverage, main variables available, strengths and limitation of the data, historical continuity, frequency and means of dissemination, indication of the type of analysis that can be performed.

The adult education and training sector is as complex as it is dynamic. In order to describe all its facets, Statistics Canada surveys many different populations. Given the number of data sources and their conceptual and methodological differences, it is sometimes very difficult for researchers and decision makers to obtain required information or data. This guide is a tool that has been developed to assist them. It provides a summary description of all Statistics Canada surveys related to adult education and training. From a selected variable, it allows the identification of surveys that can provide information. It also indicates relevant publications and how to obtain additional information.