Over one-third (4.2 million or 38 percent) of Australians aged 25 to 64 years participated in formal or non-formal learning in the year to June 2007, according to a survey run for the first time by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Almost three-quarters (74 percent) of Australians aged 25 to 64 years participated in informal learning.
In the 2006-07 survey on people undertaking formal learning (e.g. degree/certificate qualification), non-formal learning (e.g. typing course) and informal learning (e.g. reading reference manuals) the ABS found that management and commerce were the most popular formal (28 percent) and non-formal (25 percent) learning areas.
The main reason Australians take up formal learning is "to get a better job or promotion" (28 percent), and the main reason Australians take up non-formal learning is because it was a requirement of their job (36 percent).
Full-time workers were more likely to have participated in some forms of learning than persons not in the labour force (84 percent compared to 62 percent).
Other survey findings include:
. Employed people who participated in formal or non-formal learning were more likely to be professionals (29 percent), clerical and administrative workers (15 percent) and managers (14 percent).
. Younger people (25-29 years) were more likely to participate in formal learning (25 percent compared to 3 percent for 60-64 year olds).
. A Certificate lll or IV was the most common
(26 percent) course level for people participating in formal learning.
. More women participated in formal learning
(13 percent of women compared to 11 percent of men). However more men participated in non-formal learning (32 percent compared to 29 percent) and informal learning (76 percent compared to 73 percent).
. The Northern Territory had the highest proportion of people participating in formal or non-formal learning (51 percent) followed by the Australian Capital Territory (50 percent). The Australian Capital Territory had the highest proportion of people participating in informal learning (84 percent) followed by Western Australia (79 percent).
In the 2006-07 survey on people undertaking formal learning (e.g. degree/certificate qualification), non-formal learning (e.g. typing course) and informal learning (e.g. reading reference manuals) the ABS found that management and commerce were the most popular formal (28 percent) and non-formal (25 percent) learning areas.
The main reason Australians take up formal learning is "to get a better job or promotion" (28 percent), and the main reason Australians take up non-formal learning is because it was a requirement of their job (36 percent).
Full-time workers were more likely to have participated in some forms of learning than persons not in the labour force (84 percent compared to 62 percent).
Other survey findings include:
. Employed people who participated in formal or non-formal learning were more likely to be professionals (29 percent), clerical and administrative workers (15 percent) and managers (14 percent).
. Younger people (25-29 years) were more likely to participate in formal learning (25 percent compared to 3 percent for 60-64 year olds).
. A Certificate lll or IV was the most common
(26 percent) course level for people participating in formal learning.
. More women participated in formal learning
(13 percent of women compared to 11 percent of men). However more men participated in non-formal learning (32 percent compared to 29 percent) and informal learning (76 percent compared to 73 percent).
. The Northern Territory had the highest proportion of people participating in formal or non-formal learning (51 percent) followed by the Australian Capital Territory (50 percent). The Australian Capital Territory had the highest proportion of people participating in informal learning (84 percent) followed by Western Australia (79 percent).