55 per cent have taken part in courses and seminars

Fifty-five per cent of the population aged 25-64 years have participated in non-formal education during the last 12 months, as results from the Adult Education Survey (AES) 2017 show. A rapid pace of change in working life is leading to growing demand for job-related competence, and results from the survey show that the working place is an important arena for participation in non-formal education. Eighty-one per cent of the participants in non-formal education participated during paid working hours. This share has remained stable compared with 2012, when the last AES was conducted.

Adult Education Survey

Participation more common among those with a high level of education

Participation in non-formal education varies with educational attainment. While 33 per cent of those with only a primary/lower secondary education participated in non-formal education, the corresponding share is 71 per cent among those who completed an education at university college or university level.

Among those with a higher education, participation in non-formal education during paid working hours is more common. Seventy-two per cent of the participants with only a primary/lower secondary education participated during paid working hours, compared to 84 per cent of participants with a university college or university education.

The survey was conducted in the period October 2016-February 2017, and the respondents were asked to report participation during the last 12 months prior to the interview.