MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? - Tartu Ãlikool
MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? - Tartu Ãlikool
MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? - Tartu Ãlikool
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HARIDUSE PEEGELDUS TÄISKASVANUEAS REFLECTI<strong>ON</strong> OF EDUCATI<strong>ON</strong> IN ADULTHOOD<br />
consequently, neither employees of this age themselves nor employers are particularly interested<br />
in investing in their training. The costs of training are higher and the gain is smaller than in<br />
younger age groups due to the shorter period during which older employees are able to use their<br />
updated knowledge and skills at workplace (Randoja 2009; Boeren et al. 2010). In addition, the<br />
competencies of older people are often obsolete, which complicates the process of acquiring new<br />
knowledge, because they lack the required knowledge base for continuing training. The Estonian<br />
data also indicate that older people are less frequent participants in continuing training, although<br />
the participation percentage has been increasing year by year. 5% of people aged 55–64 had<br />
participated in a training during the last four weeks of 2010, which is twice as many as in 1997.<br />
The popularity of learning is the highest among those aged 24–34. 16% of men and 19% of<br />
women in this age group are involved in learning; this is also the smallest gender difference<br />
compared to all other age groups. The share of both men and women in lifelong learning<br />
decreases with age. The difference between men and women peaks in the age group 45–54,<br />
where 12% of women and only nearly 5% of men participate in training. (Figure 8)<br />
The level of education acquired is somewhat indicative of a person’s motivation for learning. One<br />
could assume that a higher level of education means a greater degree of curiosity towards the<br />
world and a consequent desire to continue to learn (see also Rummo-Laes 2009). It is also<br />
possible that people with higher levels of education have more information about learning<br />
opportunities and methods, because they have spent more time in educational environments. As<br />
Estonian women have a higher level of education than men, it is not surprising that they are also<br />
more active in adult education. In Estonia persons aged 25–64 with tertiary education are twice<br />
as likely to attend school or continuing training than women of the same age with upper<br />
secondary education. The participation rate of women with upper secondary or tertiary education<br />
is by three percentage points higher than that of men. A gender difference cannot be established<br />
in case of people with below upper secondary education, because the sample used for data<br />
collection was too small. (Figure 9)<br />
In terms of the match between educational level and employment, participation in work-related<br />
training or retraining courses is the highest among those whose job corresponds to their level of<br />
education. However, one would expect to see a higher motivation for learning, participation in<br />
training courses or other self-learning activities among those who are undereducated. In 2010, an<br />
equal share of undereducated men and women (12% on average) studied in formal education.<br />
4.5% of undereducated men and 3.6% of undereducated women participated in work-related<br />
training or retraining courses, which is a very small share of all undereducated people. The level<br />
of work-related training was even lower among the overeducated. Only 1.7% of overeducated<br />
men and 2.5% of overeducated women participated in work-related training.<br />
The economic logic dictates that employers invest in the continuing training of those employees<br />
who will use the new knowledge and skills in their subsequent work. As one could theoretically<br />
assume that women’s links to the labour market are weaker due to greater family responsibilities<br />
(Diekhoff and Steiber 2009), employers could be expected to place a greater emphasis on<br />
providing continuing training for men. In Estonia, employers were more likely to pay for the<br />
training expenses of men. 75% of men, who had participated in continuing training, claimed that<br />
their participation fee was paid by their employer, while only 65% of the women who had<br />
participated in continuing training said the same. However, this did not reduce women’s desire to<br />
learn, because one fifth of them paid for their continuing training from their own pocket com pared<br />
to the 11% of men who paid for their own continuing training. (Figure 10)<br />
Summary<br />
Although the consequences of the job-education mismatch are dynamic and affect everyone,<br />
some groups of people are more vulnerable to over- and undereducation than others. There are<br />
several reasons for over- and undereducation. In case of unemployment, people have nothing to<br />
do but to take the job that does not match their education. Likewise, in case of labour shortage,<br />
employers must hire people whose acquired education does not match the actual job<br />
requirements. Additionally, the job-education mismatch may refer to the replacability of work<br />
126<br />
<strong>MEHE</strong> <strong>KODU</strong> <strong>ON</strong> <strong>MAAILM</strong>, <strong>NAISE</strong> <strong>MAAILM</strong> <strong>ON</strong> <strong>KODU</strong>? MAN’S HOME IS THE WORLD, WOMAN’S WORLD IS HER HOME?