Adult Training as a Quality Factor in Work Trajectory: Positive Effects of Adult Training on Seniority and Ageing at Work

• Published in: Adult education quarterly (American Association for Adult and Continuing Education) Vol. 73; no. 2; pp. 169 - 196
• Main Authors: Marcaletti, Francesco, Íñiguez-Berrozpe, Tatiana, Elboj-Saso, Carmen, Garavaglia, Emma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-05-2023
• Subjects: Adult Education; Aging (Individuals); Career Development; Employment Potential; Foreign Countries; Job Skills; Professional Development; Social Bias; Status; Spain; age management; quality of aging at work; adult training; age; seniority
• ISSN: 0741-7136; 1552-3047
• DOI: 10.1177/07417136221121594

Adult training is a fundamental strategy for the improvement of workers’ skills and employability. However, as workers age and remain in the same company, the risk of losing motivation for learning may grow. In a sample of 1,452 workers from 17 Spanish companies, we analyzed to what extent the training factor increases their quality of employment and the assessment they make of their organization, despite the negative effect of the passing of time. To do so, we implemented a structural equation model that considered the effects of the variables “seniority in the company” and “training” on quality of employment. We tested this model through multigroup analysis by differentiating between workers aged under 50 and those aged 50 years and older, showing that the positive effect of training is stronger in older workers and reduces the negative effect of seniority in the company for those aged under 50.