Participation in job-related lifelong learning among well-educated employees in the Nordic countries

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore participation in job-related lifelong learning (LLL) among high-educated mature workers and compare it across four Nordic countries.While this group generally is very active in LLL, the centrality of knowledge work in society, rapid pace of skills-renewal, and due rising learning demands on all qualifications levels, necessitates a better understanding of the patterns of and factors affecting their skills development. The paper builds on theories learning motivation, human capital, and workplace learning. Data from the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) by the OECD was used.Besides high participation rates, systematic level differences in participation were found across the countries. The logit regression analyses revealed clear differences between countries in the models explaining participation, suggesting limited support to a single "Nordic model" of LLL. Furthermore, predictors of participation commonly found among adult population, low-educated, and/or younger adults, appeared less valid among higheducated.

Patterns of participation and non-participation in learning in mid-life and their determinants

“…Notable examples of such work include Patterson (2018) on non-participants in the United States; the large-scale cross-country analyses of Lee and Desjardins (2019) who looked at 19 selected OECD countries. Hovdhaugen and Opheim (2018) compared adult learning in five Nordic countries with three non-Nordic European countries, while Tikkanen and Nissinen (2016) made comparisons between the Nordic countries. These studies are a very useful addition to the corpus of adult education research, as are similar quantitative cross-sectional studies which have used data other than PIAAC such as Roosmaa and Saar (2017) and Beblavy et al (2014) who drew on data from the European Labour Force Survey.…”

Organisational learning in complex epistemic environments: reflections from studies of professional work in Norway

“…However, the way these characteristics of Nordic societies and working life matters for the learning of professionals and their work communities are not clear-cut. Most research on work-related and lifelong learning has focused on groups with lower formal education or qualifications, while larger parts of the Nordic workforce is engaged in knowledge-intensive work (Tikkanen and Nissinen, 2016). Their work environments are exposed to changes and new demands, as their fields of expertise and ways of organising professional services are evolving.…”

Threats and opportunities for learning organizations – Nordic perspective and experience

“…It is well known that the Nordic workforce is highly engaged in knowledge-intensive work supported by a digital infrastructure (Tikkanen & Nissinen, 2016), which means that they need to have and maintain a high level of digital skills. The education system supports this process, as in the Nordic countries the education system is public and formal education is prioritized over alternative skill pathways (Underthun & Drange, 2018).…”