Lifelong learning, 2014, 1st quarter

The publication this year covers persons aged 15-66 years. Persons below the age of 22 were not included in previous publications.

Participation between employed males and females within the age group 15-24 years showed a significant disparity. Sixty-two per cent of the employed females participated in formal education compared with 47 per cent of males. About 62 per cent of employed persons in the age group 15-24 years participated in formal education in 2008. Participation rates vary between 55 and 62 per cent from 2008 to 2014, and the lowest rates are in 2010 and 2014.

Participation in formal education among persons aged 15-66 years was 15 per cent; a decline of 3 percentage points from 2013.

80 per cent of non-employed within the age group 15-24 in formal education

More than 80 per cent of persons within the age group 15-24 years who are not in employment participated in formal education within the last 12 months. Almost half of persons in the age group 25-34 years participated in formal education, but the age group 62-66 years had no participants.

Professionals more likely to participate

Persons employed in professional occupations participate most frequently in non-formal education, followed by persons employed in managerial occupations. Sixty-five per cent of women in professional occupations attended non-formal education in the last 12 months. The participation rate is lowest among plant and machine operators and assemblers, where 33 per cent attended non-formal education in the past year.

Persons with higher education more likely to participate

Educational background is significant in the rate of participation in non-formal education. For those with a higher education, 61 per cent of employees and 18 per cent of persons not in employment had participated in non-formal education during the last 12 months. The corresponding figures for persons with primary and lower secondary education were 31 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.