This may suggest that adults' primary educational motivations shift as they get older from gaining recognised credentials towards learning that meets a more specific work or personal objective. Participation in non-formal courses increased with age, at least up to around age 55. The opposite was true for non-formal study. For adults who already hold qualifications, or who are in work, there is likely to be less incentive to enrol in further formal study, than there is for younger adults needing to gain formal credentials to enter the labour market. Participation in formal study was lower among older adults. However, some differences for different subgroups are discussed below.įigure 3 looks at participation by age. There was no significant difference in participation rates in formal study between men and women. However, men were more likely to participate in non-formal learning involving attendance at short seminars only. Figure 2: Percentage of men and women aged 25-64 in formal and non-formal study, 2006Įxcluding attendance at short seminars, women were slightly more likely to participate in non-formal study than men. When attendance at short lectures, seminars, workshops or special talks is included, participation in 2006 in non-formal learning increased to 61 percent of adults aged 25-64. While one in five (or 20 percent) participated in formal study, one in three (or 34 percent) participated in some form of non-formal study. Nearly half (or 48 percent) of New Zealanders aged 25 to 64 engaged in some form of formal or non-formal learning (excluding short seminars) in 2006, either in the workplace or in an institution. While non-formal learning does not provide nationally recognised credentials, it does provide additional or alternative learning pathways for a significant number of adult New Zealanders, many of whom will already hold formal qualifications Figure 1: Adults in formal and non-formal study, 2006 While good information exists on adults' participation in formal study, less is known about non-formal study. Much of this increase has come from adults aged 25 and over. In New Zealand, as in other countries around the world, participation in post-school study has increased significantly in the last 20 years. This rate was higher for men, the employed, and those with higher-level qualifications.
A further 27 percent engaged in non-formal learning that involved attendance at short seminars, lectures, workshops or special talks not part of a course. 34 percent participated in non-formal study (excluding short seminars) 20 percent in formal study and 6 percent did both.
Nearly half (or 48 percent) of New Zealanders aged 25 to 64 were in some form of study in 2006.Rates for these are instead, presented separately. However, in line with the treatment of very short stand-alone formal courses, they have been excluded from the non-formal participation rates figures shown here. Short seminars, lectures, workshops or special talks that are not part of a course are also considered non-formal learning. Both formal and non-formal learning can be provided in either a workplace or institutional setting, either intramurally or extramurally. Non-formal learning covers that learning which is not so assessed, or does not lead to a nationally recognised qualification. Formal learning is that which is assessed by a nationally recognised body and contributes towards a nationally recognised qualification. It doesn't include learning that is self-directed or incidental to some other activity. This fact sheet looks at the percentage of adults aged 25 to 64 engaged in some form of study in 2006, including for the first time, information on non-formal learning.įormal and non-formal learning covers any form of intentional organised learning provided by an external body.
0 kommentar(er)
