MEHE KODU ON MAAILM, NAISE MAAILM ON KODU? - Tartu Ülikool

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