Quality of Employment in Canada
Training participation, 2024
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In the 12 months ending in November 2024, 3 in 10 (29.7%) workers in Canada participated in job-related training outside the formal education system. In general, employment remains a central driver of participation in training, as the vast majority of workers (92.5%) did training mostly for job-related reasons rather than for personal reasons. Participation in job-related training continues to vary notably based on the educational attainment of workers, as well as the skill and educational requirements of their position.
Job-related training offers benefits to workers and businesses in a context of ongoing societal and technological change. Participation in job-related training is often driven by job requirements but it can also be an important benefit accessible only in certain types of jobs. Training helps workers become more employable and provides skills that can help them take on more responsibilities with their current employer. For businesses, training can improve productivity and make workers more confident and motivated in their jobs.
The training participation indicator is the share of workers who took part in job-related non-formal training over the previous 12 months. The concept of non-formal training refers to any kind of structured training, courses, or seminars taken outside the formal education system. While many employers cover all costs associated with job-related training, other forms of training may be self-funded or sponsored by the federal or provincial governments. Non-formal training is distinct from informal or on-the-job training—which is not included in the current analysis. Informal or on-the-job training refers to day-to-day learning at work based on observations or interactions with colleagues.
Data and analyses for this indicator are based on a supplement to the Labour Force Survey. Unless otherwise specified, estimates refer to the 12-month period ending in November 2024 for workers aged 25 to 64.
Recent trends
The overall rate of training participation in the 12 months ending in November 2024 (29.7%) was similar to the rate observed in November 2022 (30.3%).
Higher levels of educational attainment are associated with higher rates of training participation. In November 2024, 36.8% of workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher had participated in training over the previous 12 months, down 2.9 percentage points compared with November 2022 (39.7%).
In contrast, under one-fifth of workers with a high school diploma or lower had done training in the 12 months ending in November 2024 (16.8%), little changed from November 2022 (14.9%).
A recent snapshot
Participation in job-related training peaks in the 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 age groups
Rates of training participation were highest among mid-career to late-career workers aged 35 to 44 and 45 to 54. In the 12 months ending in November 2024, nearly one third of workers aged 35 to 44 (32.6%) and 45 to 54 (32.0%) had participated in training. The training participation rate was slightly lower among workers aged 25 to 34 (29.5%).
In both November 2022 (22.9%) and November 2024 (23.1%) workers aged 55 to 64 posted the lowest training participation rates. Training participation for older workers was lower for both employees and self-employed workers.Note
Occupational groups with high rates of public sector employment had the highest training participation rates
In November 2024, workers in health occupations, and in education, law and social, community and government services had the highest rates of training participation across all occupations. These occupational groups had a high proportion of workers who were in the public sector,Note where training participation rates are higher. Indeed, 2 in 5 (40.3%) public sector employees had completed training in the previous 12 months, compared with 26.2% of private sector employees and 27.7% of self-employed workers.
Nearly half of workers in health occupations (48.0%) had participated in training during the previous 12 months, 18.3 percentage points higher than the average for all occupations (29.7%). Among workers in education, law and social, community and government services, 4 in 10 (42.8%) had participated in training over this period.
In contrast, less than 1 in 5 workers in manufacturing and utilities (16.8%) and sales and service occupations (19.9%) had participated in job-related training. Workers in trades, transport, and equipment operators and related occupations (22.3%), and in natural resources and agriculture and related production occupations (23.2%) also had lower rates of training participation compared with the average for all occupations. All four occupational groups had rates of employment in the public sector that were lower than the national average.
Overall, training participation rates were highest amongst workers in professional occupations that typically require a bachelor’s degree or higher (TEER 1)Note (42.9%), and lowest amongst workers in jobs that do not usually require postsecondary education (TEER 4 and 5) (16.9%).
Data table for chart 1
| National Occupation Classification (NOC) | Percentage of workers who participated in training |
|---|---|
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, and Labour Market Indicators, November 2024, custom tabulation. |
|
| Occupations in manufacturing and utilities | 16.8 Data table chart 1 Note † |
| Sales and service occupations | 19.9 Data table chart 1 Note † |
| Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations | 22.3 Data table chart 1 Note † |
| Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations | 23.2 Data table chart 1 Note † |
| Business, finance and administration occupations | 27.1 Data table chart 1 Note † |
| Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport | 29.7 |
| Management occupations | 31.5 |
| Natural and applied sciences and related occupations | 32.7 |
| Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services | 42.8 Data table chart 1 Note † |
| Health occupations | 48.0 Data table chart 1 Note † |
South Asian and Filipino workers were among the least likely to have participated in training
Certain population groups face limited access to employment and training opportunities,Note Note reinforcing the systemic barriers they face within the labour market. These barriersNote can affect individuals’ employment and career development. As such, information on access to training can help inform policies aimed at promoting a more inclusive, equitable labour market.
Rates of training participation were lowest for South Asian and Filipino workers. About one-fifth (21.9%) of Filipino workers and South Asian workers (18.7%) had participated in training in the 12 months ending in November 2024, compared with nearly one-third (32.4%) of non-racialized and non-Indigenous workers. However, training participation rates among Black Canadians (30.0%) and Latin American workers (29.6%) were similar to the rate for non-racialized and non-Indigenous workers.
First Nations workers living off reserve, Métis workers living in the provinces and non-Indigenous workers had similar rates of training participation
The training participation rate was 34.9% among First Nations workers living off-reserve and 31.2% among Métis workers living in the provinces in the 12 months ending in November 2024. These rates were similar to the rate observed for non-Indigenous workers (29.6%).Note
Women were more likely to have participated in training than men, due in part to the higher proportion of women with university degrees
Employed women were 3.2 percentage points more likely than men to have participated in training (31.4% vs. 28.2%) in the 12 months ending in November 2024.
Overall, training participation rates were highest amongst those with a bachelor’s degree or a higher level of education (36.8%), and women were more likely to have a bachelor’s degree or a higher level of education in comparison to men (47.4% vs. 39.0%). Further, women with a bachelor’s degree or a higher level of education were 3.6 percentage points more likely than their male counterparts to have participated in training (38.5% vs. 34.9%).
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Information on the indicator
Description or definition
The training participation indicator is the number of workers aged 25 to 64 who received job-related non-formal training in the last 12 months, expressed as a percentage of all workers in that age group.
Source
Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, 2024.
Statistics Canada, Labour Market Indicators, November 2022 and November 2024.
Information for interpretation
For more information on the Labour Force Survey (LFS) methodology and population coverage, please consult the Guide to the Labour Force Survey, 2025.
The November 2022 and November 2024 LFS supplements were collected as part of the Labour Market Indicators program. The sample consists of households in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th month of participation in the LFS and the survey population is limited to those aged 15 to 69 living in the provinces. For more information see Labour Market Indicators.
The LFS estimates are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sampling variability. The analysis focuses on differences between estimates that are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Due to rounding, estimates and percentages may differ slightly between different Statistics Canada products, such as analytical documents and data tables.
Occupations are coded according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Single digit NOC codes were used for this analysis, and anyone employed in management (not limited to senior management) was coded as management (TEER 0).
In the LFS, the concept of Indigenous group includes persons who reported being an Indigenous person, that is, First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit). Excluded from the survey's coverage are people living on reserves and other Indigenous settlements in the provinces as well as those living in the territories.
Other related information
Additional Statistics Canada data are available on the following subject:
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