Women are less likely than men to receive training from their employers, a study from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University has found.

The study, published Perspectives in Labour and Income, shows that women continue to face barriers in the labour market, in terms of both earning and training.

“The less money you make and the less education you have, the less likely you are to receive employer supported training,” says Isik Zeytinoglu, professor of human resources at DeGroote.
“Among low-wage and less educated workers, women are significantly less likely than men to receive employer supported training.”

Zeytinoglu, along with principle investigator and former DeGroote PhD Gordon Cooke of Memorial University and James Chowhan, a current PhD student at DeGroote, used Statistics Canada's 2005 Workplace and Employee Survey (WES) to analyse employer-supported training. The WES is comprised of data from 24,197 employees from 6,693 workplaces. The research and analysis are based on data produced by Statistics Canada and the opinions expressed do not represent the views of Statistics Canada.

The researchers found that workers at the low end of the earnings scale, workers with less education, non-unionized workers, and women are all less likely than other workers to receive employer-sponsored training. Moreover, they are also less likely to decline it when it is offered, potentially indicating that they value training more than others. Within each of the first three categories, women also lag behind comparable men in receiving training.

“Training increases earning potential and access to higher-quality employment opportunities,” says Chowhan. “Having a highly trained workforce also benefits employers in terms of productivity and adaptability, allowing them to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage in today's global business market.”