Older Workers and On-the-Job Training in Canada: Evidence from the WES Data

This paper provides evidence of on-the-job training among older workers in Canada. It also examines the effect of age associated with on-the-job training. Statistics Canada’s Workplace and Employee Survey (WES) 2001 data, linking employee responses to workplace (i.e. employer) responses are used. Three quarters of workers are categorized as middle aged, with about one in ten being younger and one in five considered to be older. Only 32% of Canadian workers received on-the-job training in the year preceding this survey. When separating workers into the three age categories, 37%, 34%, and 24% of younger, middle-aged, and older workers, respectively, received on-the-job training in that year. Logistic regression analysis results showed that, controlling for workplace, job and individual factors, as compared to middle-aged workers, older workers are significantly less likely to receive on-the-job training. The lack of on-the-job training for older workers should be a concern for policy makers at a time when labour shortages are being predicted. Older workers are healthier than ever and the provision of on-the-job training should be encouraged to retain older workers in the labour market in Canada.