Re-examining Adult Education and Training Participation by Education, Literacy, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity in the U.S.

Abstract

This study examined the associations between adult education and training (AET) participation, educational attainment, literacy skills, gender, and race/ethnicity among the U.S. adult population aged 25 to 65 years old (n = 5,450). Given the socioeconomic advancements of women and racial/ethnic minorities in the last few decades, including higher educational attainment, increased labor force participation, and greater income, and as new data becomes available, it is important to re-examine AET participation by gender and race/ethnicity in the U.S while controlling for educational attainment and literacy skills. This study employed the 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) public-use file (PUF). Binary logistic regression was used to examine (1) any AET, (2) formal AET, and (3) non-formal AET across all variables of interest. Indeed, educational attainment and literacy skills are associated with greater AET participation. Further analyses showed that more women than men participated in all forms of AET, and there were some variations in AET participation by racial/ethnic minorities. More Black, Hispanic, and other racial/ethnic minority adults participated in formal AET, and more Black adults participated in all forms of AET, compared to their White counterparts. This study also provides within-race/ethnicity group variations.

Determinants of Adult Education and Training Participation in the United States: A Machine Learning Approach

“…These barriers to AET participation are embedded in the specific socioeconomic contexts (Desjardins, 2015). Consistent with findings in existing scholarly works, Punksungka et al (2021) demonstrated that higher levels of educational attainment and income, which indicate greater socioeconomic status, are strongly associated with adults’ participation in any form of AET.…”

“…Similarly, while some studies suggest that older workers benefit from AET activities, others have found that older age is associated with lower AET participation or negative attitudes toward it (Roosmaa & Saar, 2017. It is widely recognized that individuals with higher human capital tend to seek additional knowledge and skills (Boeren et al, 2010). For instance, Ioannidou and Parma's (2022) study demonstrated that highly educated workers were more likely to engage in AET practices, reaffirming that higher educational attainment enhances the likelihood of subsequent learning participation among adult workers (Punksungka et al, 2021;Yamashita et al, 2019). Additionally, income can serve as a significant driver and extrinsic reward for participating in LLL (Tikkanen & Nissinen, 2018).…”

“…Nonformal learning, on the other hand, serves as an additional and alternative type of learning that complements formal training and is an integral part of the LLL process (Widany et al, 2019). Nonformal AET differs from formal training in its tacit nature of knowledge accumulation, and it generally does not lead to formal credentials (Punksungka et al, 2021). Nonformal AET takes place mostly in institutionalized settings, such as the workplace.…”

“…Schmidt (2007) found a positive relationship between job satisfaction and workplace training. Some studies also emphasized the “ use it or lose it ” hypothesis, suggesting that employees who continuously use their skills in their tasks can further develop their occupational potential (Punksungka et al, 2021). Tikkanen and Nissinen (2018) conducted a study in Nordic countries, which revealed that above-average utilization of skills at work increased employees’ likelihood of participating in AET.…”

Why We Should Not Wait for Existing Latvian Crowdfunding Platforms’ Authorisation under the EU Regulation on Crowdfunding Service Providers for Business

“…Researchers have noted the importance of work-place education (Larsen, 2022) and neighbourhood learning activities (Ollis, Starr, Ryan, Angwin, Harrison, 2017;Olis, et al, 2018). Relevant results have been obtained by researchers when examining and evaluating experiences in various countries: in United Kingdom (Kersh, Laczik, 2021), in Spain (Alfageme, Seguí-Cosme, Monteagudo-Cáceres, 2023), in Australia (Ollis, Starr, Ryan, Harrison, 2018), in USA (Punksungka, et al, 2022;Yamashita, Smith, Sahoo, Cummins, 2022), in South Africa (Mayombe, 2016), in Latvia , in China (Zhang, Perkins, 2023), where researchers have pointed out several innovative approaches. All indicated research results have confirmed the relevance of life-long education.…”