Template-type: ReDif-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Fouarge Didier 
Author-Name: Schils Trudie 
Author-Name: Grip Andries de
Author-workplace-name: ROA rm
Title: Why do low-educated workers invest less in further training?
Abstract: Several studies document the fact that low-educated workers participate less often infurther training than high-educated workers. The economic literature suggests thatthere is no significant difference in employer willingness to train low-educated workers,which leaves the question of why the low educated invest less in training unanswered.This paper investigates two possible explanations: Low-educated workers invest less intraining because of 1) the lower economic returns to these investments or 2) their lowerwillingness to participate in training. Controlling for unobserved heterogeneity that canaffect the probability of enrolling into training, we find that the economic returns totraining for low-educated workers are positive and not significantly different from thosefor high-educated workers. However, low-educated workers are significantly less willingto participate in training. This lesser willingness to participate in training is driven byeconomic preferences (future orientation, preference for leisure), as well as personalitytraits (locus of control, exam anxiety, and openness to experience).
Keywords: education, training and the labour market; 
Series: Research Memoranda
Creation-Date: 2010
Number: 010
File-URL: http://digitalarchive.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fedora/objects/guid:c1f3868e-6266-45a4-aed5-e871d43c2af2/datastreams/ASSET1/content
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 282879
Handle: RePEc:unm:umaror:2010010